NOMINATION processes for leadership positions in the 54th National Conference of the ANC have started on a high note in Musa Dladla Region, with Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma the apparent presidential choice for majority of local branches.
Thus far, 16 Branch General Meetings (BGMs) have been held, all of which were peaceful.
This was the confirmation of ANC Musa Dladla Regional Secretary Tholi Gwala, who spoke in an interview with a local radio station on Monday evening, in Empangeni.
Gwala declared that even though the road to the national conference has been bumpy in some areas, in Musa Dladla all was well.
‘We are going to this conference to mainly discuss issues on how best to move South Africa forward. The entire focus of this conference will be about debating issues at length, as we are confronted with serious challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
‘We believe the land question must be resolved urgently. We want our land back, which was taken forcefully from us.’Our economy is still in the hands of a minority and this must be corrected.
‘These are just few examples of the issues we will be debating as we will converge in Gauteng for the much talked about national conference.
‘The election of the new leadership is just an item and part of the conference, but not the main focus.’
ALSO READ: District municipality to drive Agri Parks
Dlamini-Zulu favoured
Gwala said his region has 105 branches, of which 101 qualified for audit.
‘Of the 16 BGMs we have had so far, 14 nominated Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (NDZ 17) for president, while two have nominated Cyril Ramaphosa (CR17), but it is still early to get the whole picture, as we still have many BGMs to hold.’
He said Musa Dladla was different from any other regions, adding that unity was their daily bread.
‘All our meetings have been peaceful. At no stage did we have to seek for police intervention because of disruptions or whatsoever, unlike in other areas.
‘We also pride ourselves for having healthy relations with our alliance partners in the South African Communist Party (SACP), COSATU and SANCO.
‘We understand each other’s role in this alliance to a level where we don’t see the need to make pronouncements on who should be leading SACP, COSATU and SANCO.
‘Similarly we don’t expect them to make pronouncements as to who should lead the ANC. To us such a behaviour amounts to interference,’ he said.
When asked about the ‘tradition’ to have Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, succeeding President Zuma, Gwala said there was no such thing.
Handover
‘There is no handover in the ANC, but there is contestation. Even in Polokwane in 2007, the then ANC Deputy President Comrade JZ contested the position against former President Mbeki.
‘In Mangaung Zuma contested the position against his then Deputy President Comrade Kgalema Motlanthe.
‘Even in KZN when Comrade Zweli Mkhize, who was Provincial Chairperson was elected into the ANC’s
Top six as Treasurer-General in 2012, his then deputy Comrade Willies Mchunu did not automatically take over, but he contested the position against Comrade Senzo Mchunu.
‘This song of a handover is new in the movement, we don’t know who the composer is,’ he said.
The Regional engine of the ANC said while his party was still firmly in charge of the district, controlling three local municipalities in uMhlathuze, uMlalazi and uMfolozi.
However, he said Nkandla and Mthonjaneni remained their hard nut to crack.
‘Those two municipalities remain a mountain to climb, but gradually we will get there. The beauty of if is that we are increasing our support base in those IFP-led municipalities,’ he said.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
