While the popularity of former ANC Youth League leader in KwaZulu-Natal Siboniso Duma took many by surprise, the crunching defeat and spectacular crumble of Nomusa Dube’s campaign caused shock waves.
Dube, who is KwaZulu-Natal MEC for finance, failed to make it to the nomination list of the province’s top five. Her name was being bandied about as a potential candidate to replace Sihle Zikalala as chairperson of the province.
Her campaign was invigorated by the so-called radical economic transformation (RET) faction as well as the ANC Women’s League.
KwaZulu-Natal-based political analyst Xolani Dube said Dube’s campaign was doomed from the start.
“People do not understand the political dynamics of KZN. Nomusa was never going to emerge because she was never going to reach the threshold.
“Her campaign was destroyed by her own lobbyists, who created false hope that the branches were resonating with her,” the analyst said.
He said Dube’s gender had nothing to do with the embarrassment of being ditched at the 11th hour.
“It was about the strategies employed by her campaign team. There was no region that had pronounced on Nomusa. She shot herself in the foot by not aligning herself to any faction. So branch members did not know what she stood for,” Dube said.
Commenting on the strong showing of Duma, Dube said he had benefitted from disgruntled and disillusioned members.
“These are ordinary branch members who are fed up with RET and the renewal unity factions. They believe that maybe he can chart a new path for KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
Another surprise was the decision by businessman and football boss Sandile Zungu to decline nomination as provincial chairperson. He was one of the candidates expected to be supported by delegates.
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