By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
The ANC has roped in Zandile Gumede, the disgraced former eThekwini mayor who is on trial for a R280-million tender scam, to lead its election campaign in KwaZulu-Natal.
It’s an about-turn for President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had earlier forced Gumede out of office to show that the ANC was serious about fighting corruption.
Ramaphosa is leading efforts to force party leaders implicated in crime to step aside from their positions to salvage the reputation of the party.
These efforts have pushed out former president Jacob Zuma, former ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and Gumede, a once-powerful mayor in an ANC-controlled metro.
Gumede is being tried along with other tenderpreneurs in the eThekwini region for possible fraud and corruption in the breaking up of the Durban Solid Waste company.
The former Amaoti councillor commands a huge following in eThekwini where she was elected as a proportional representative councillor for two terms and was regional treasurer of the ANC from 2007 to 2015.
When she was removed as mayor, the ANC in KZN simply made her a member of the provincial legislature, where she continued to enjoy perks and a salary of R1.9-million a year.
Gumede is a known ally of Zuma. Since he joined the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party there have been fears that she would join it too, which would deal a big blow to the ANC.
The ruling party is facing a major challenge in KZN where the DA has officially joined forces with a resurgent IFP in a bid to unseat the ANC.
The IFP controls the majority of municipalities in KZN and has a history of beating the ANC in the polls in certain areas of KZN, including Zuma’s hometown of Nkandla. It has won the premiership of the province twice and ran the province for 10 years after 1994.
As he posed for photos with Gumede, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula insisted the party was still on a path of renewal.
“Today we met with ANC structures at the ANC eThekwini regional office. We are on the path of renewal and elections concurrently, and we are fine-tuning organisational processes within our structures as we work for a decisive victory in the upcoming elections,” Mbalula said.
Pictured above: Zandile Gumede and Fikile Mbalula.
Image source: X
