Africa-Press – South-Africa. Durban – The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has yet to hold conferences for the eThekwini, lower South Coast, Harry Gwala, InKosi Bhambatha, Musa Dladla and Mzala Nxumalo regions, according to Provincial Spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela.
“There are no confirmed dates yet for conferences until Luthuli House sorts out staff salaries,” he said.
eThekwini, home to one of the party’s biggest support bases, was declared hung, following the November elections after the ruling party had lost its majority vote.
In addition to the conferences, the party also needs to conduct its auditing process, in which it verifies party members. For example, it examines whether or not a member is in good standing.
At the beginning of the month, unpaid ANC staff members remained in what was reported at the time as a “full-blown stay-away”. This was because the party had not honoured its contractual agreement.
ANC staff representative Mvusi Mdala said Luthuli House, Western Cape, Free State and North West had not received salaries for January. Some North West staff members had last received salaries in October, Mdala added.
During an NEC meeting a few days before Mdala’s remarks, national spokesperson Pule Mabe reportedly suggested that the ANC retrench staff members to ease its financial burden.
Mdala said Mabe’s stance towards the issue of unpaid staff salaries was opportunistic.
The party has also experienced a consistent rate of violence, as another ANC councillor was murdered. eThekwini ward councillor Minenhle Mkhize was found dead in his car, riddled with bullets, on Saturday, January 23.
Last year, in the build up to the local government elections, three women were shot dead in Inanda, during an ANC branch meeting. Several other people were injured, police reports indicated.
After an update briefing last week with Police Minister Minister Bheki Cele on the murders of Mkhize and IFP councillor Reginald Ndima, KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala called for an end to individual leadership campaigns ahead of its conference.
He was speaking during the closing day of the ANC’s Lekgotla in Durban on Monday.
Zikalala said debates on the future leadership of the ANC should not create further divisions.
“As we go to the national conference, we should avoid embarking on discussion before the ANC NEC opens the leadership discussion. We must equally resist the NEC members who go around drawing us to leadership issues towards the national conference.
“We should resist those who pursue individual campaigns telling us to elect them. The culture of self-nomination must be engaged as it is an antithesis to the traditions of the movement,” Zikalala said.
Political Bureau
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
