The decision to chop KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng top leadership had to be made if the ANC were to survive the existential threat it faces.
That was the message from ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula in Durban on Tuesday as he unveiled the reconfigured leadership of the province.
The group comprises mainly the ANC old-guard.
“The fact of the matter is that in KZN… is that we lost power, 17% is not child’s play. This means the ANC lost 1.4 million in electoral support in this province. We had to intervene and save the ANC from total decimation,” Mbalula said.
Action necessary to save the party
Mbalula was asked why the ANC had taken such a hard stance against the province, which was once its stronghold. He said that while the party National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to reconfigure was not punitive, the fact remained that KZN was the only province where the party had lost power completely.
“We have never seen something like this, it’s an existential crisis. We have no luxury to entertain people with false egos. We did not just decrease, we lost elections. The intervention is not punitive, but it was about responding to the situation,” Mbalula stated.
ANC heavies make a return
Party veteran and former ANC head of policy Jeff Radebe was roped in as convener. Mike Mabuyakhulu, another heavyweight in ANC circles, was tapped for coordinator. Together with 65 others, they form a team tasked with the mammoth job of saving the ANC from political obscurity.
While former KZN secretary Bheki Mtolo was given the boot, his chairperson Siboniso Duma now assumes the second deputy coordinator role. Other senior leaders Nomusa Dube, the former KZN premier and ex MEC Weziwe Thusi were also roped into the top six of this team. Former minister and KZN premier Sbu Ndebele also makes a comeback to domestic politics. Nomagugu Simelane was also retained in the leadership but as a fundraiser.
The recall of the KZN PEC was a long time coming. What became the nail in their coffin though was the emergence of the former president Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto Wesizwe Party.
Party suffered humiliating loss at the polls
The fledgling party came from nowhere to become the biggest in the province. The one-year old party recorded 45% of electoral support in the province.
Mabuyakhulu used the opportunity to allay the fears of his comrades in the government telling them their jobs were safe, for now.
“We will give full maximum support to all our deployees. We will ensure that the Government of National Unity works and do everything in our power to support it. There should be no doubt as to where our loyalties lie,” he said.
Mabuyakhulu previously voluntarily stepped back from party activities to deal with his legal woes relating to fraud and corruption. He was later acquitted on all charges.
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