Johannesburg- Fresh from a bruising Digital Vibes storm, former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has emerged as one of the key players in the ANC’s election campaign in KwaZulu-Natal in the run-up to local elections on November 1.
Mkhize, one of the senior and most powerful politicians within the ranks of the governing party, was dealt a heavy political blow after a special investigating unit (SIU) report implicated him in the R150-million saga involving Digital Vibes, a communication company owned by his close associates.
In the aftermath of the explosive report, Mkhize was forced to fall on his sword and resign as health minister.
It was widely believed that the scandal would end his political career.
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However, after keeping a low profile, Mkhize on Friday led an election campaign in the province’s Lower South Coast region, addressing residents under the KwaNzimakwe Tribal Council. Mkhize, currently an ANC national executive committee member who has been relegated to a backbencher in the National Assembly, is known to harbour ambitions of becoming the next ANC president.
There was a belief that the province might unite behind his name for the governing party’s national elective conference next year. Provincial ANC spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela confirmed that Mkhize was scheduled to lead an election campaign.
“Comrade Zweli remains a leader of the ANC and he continues to perform duties of the organisation,” Ntombela said.
“There is nothing that prohibits him from campaigning for the party. He was deployed as any other leader of the party to lead the election drive,” said Ntombela.
Besides Mkhize, Sunday World understands that the provincial leadership also met former president Jacob Zuma and begged him to assist the party. According to a senior party leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media, the decision to visit Zuma – who is out on medical parole – was taken amid fears that the EFF was gaining ground, particularly in the eThekwini metro.
The ANC has suffered severe political damage following Zuma’s imprisonment after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt for failing to appear before the State Capture Commission.
“The plan was to request uNxamalala to assist the organisation in the elections,” the senior member said.
“Because of his charisma, he still commands a lot of support. Although there was a general view that the PEC [provincial executive committee] had sold Zuma, they put themselves in his good books when they negotiated with Luthuli House that he must be released,” he said.
He added that there were deep divisions within the so-called Radical Economic Transformation forces aligned to Zuma, with some saying he should not participate in order to embarrass the ANC at the polls. The poor results would be used to discredit president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Zuma this week released a video in which he urged people to vote for the ANC. His spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, on Friday said the former president is willing to campaign for the ANC should the laws of the land allow him to do so.
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