Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, harbours no ill-feelings that his home province of KwaZulu-Natal has not endorsed his candidacy for the ANC elective conference in December.
Mchunu’s name has been bandied about in various ANC circles with his campaign to be the ruling party’s deputy president getting the nod in both the Northern Cape and Free State.
It will not be a walk in the park for Mchunu though, because there are other high-ranking ANC officials vying for the position. They include Paul Mashatile, David Mabuza, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuya and ministers Mamoloko Kubayi and Ronald Lamola.
Mchunu told Sunday World this week that although it seemed odd that his campaign and that of former KwaZulu-Natal ANC secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli had the backing elsewhere but not in their home province, he has no qualms about the turn of events.
“I have no negativity because of the fact that KZN PEC [provincial executive committee] did not mention my name,” said Mchunu.
It is for the second time that Mchunu is vying for ANC’s top-six position, having narrowly lost the contest in 2017 during the watershed Nasrec elective conference. In fact, his tale was that of so close, yet so far.
He and Ace Magashule squared off for the position of party secretary-general and the contest was narrowly won by Magashule by 24 votes. In the overall voting tally, Mchunu received 2 336 against Magashule’s 2 360.
Pundits believe Mchunu would have emerged victorious if the majority of KwaZulu-Natal branches had not decided to punish him for aligning himself with the slate that backed President Cyril Ramaphosa.
When the final results were announced, there was a scuffle over the alleged mysterious disappearance of 68 votes, with Mchunu’s supporters crying foul play.
“Some comrades, whenever we meet, still call me SG [secretary-general], saying that they know what happened. But they say it in a lighter note,” said Mchunu.
He added that although he had no power to dictate to branches on what position they should nominate him, he has been approached for the deputy president portfolio.
Mchunu’s fallout with his home province began during his tenure as premier when his comrades accused him of advocating for clean governance and said comrades were starving under his leadership.
He went on to push an anti-corruption drive known as “I do right – even if no one is watching”, which further caused more rifts within the party. The unhappiness led to him being recalled.
He was also one of a few high-profile politicians in KwaZulu-Natal to endorse Ramaphosa’s presidential bid leading up to 2017.
Mfanelo Ngcobo, one of Mchunu’s lobbyists in the province, said several branches have raised his name. “Comrade Macingwane [Mchunu] is one of the leaders with integrity, a very few left in the movement,” said Ngcobo.
“We are confident that now that the nomination process has been extended, we will receive a sufficient threshold for his name to stand.”
KZN candidates for party’s top six
- Zweli Mkhize – president
- Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – president
- Senzo Mchunu – deputy president
- Mdumiseni Ntuli – secretary-general
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