Celani Sikhakhane
The ANC’s poor performance in this week’s local government elections have revived calls to install MEC Nomsa Dube-Ncube as the new provincial chair.
The position is currently held by Sihle Zikalala, but discussions over his replacement took place this week on a WhatsApp group containing several party members.
The group was formed to support the former Zulu regiment, Induna Mgilija, but over time it evolved into a supporters’ group for former president Jacob Zuma.
After failing to win ULundi ward 12 earlier this week, candidate Phohloza Zungu sent messages to the group in which he said it’s high time the current leadership of the KZN ANC was removed.
Zungu wrote “I think these comrades can help us to defeat the problem that we are facing in KZN because we are facing a serious crisis in this province as the ANC.”
He then proposed that Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Zandile Gumede, Lucky Moloi, Chris Hlabisa and Mxolisi Kaunda should replace the current ANC leadership in KZN as soon as possible.
ANC KZN Spokesperson believe that they need to reconvene a serious meeting as the ANC and do some introspection.
Dube-Ncube, the current MEC of finance in the province, has been put forward to lead the ANC for some time.
In 2020, she was tipped to be the next ANC Provincial Chairperson for the upcoming elective party congress.
Her campaigns started to gain momentum last year after it was revealed that her name was deliberately dropped from the list of three candidates who were sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa to select the KZN Premier.
It was widely reported that her name was removed because she was perceived as a threat to ANC chair Sihle Zikalala. As well as being a more experienced party member than Zikalala, KZN had never had a female Premier.
Another leader told Scrolla.Africa that the issue of Zikalala is complex as many factors caused the ANC to lose key municipalities and districts.
“As much as Zikalala is destroying the province… he is not the only one to blame,” said the leader, who did not want to be named.
“We have serious division within the party and other members are also taking the organisation to court for some regional elective congress results.”
