Durban — As the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal still reels from its worst election performance ever, speculation is rife that the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) led by Siboniso Duma will be disbanded.
However, ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo angrily dismissed the speculation, saying it was a deliberate ploy to derail the ANC.
“We are not aware of that kind of a decision. We have been dealing with this speculation for a long time, but nothing has happened. Why must we give answers to the same speculation that has not materialised?” asked Mtolo.
Mtolo was elected alongside his key ally, Duma, during the party’s elective conference in July 2022.
Their four-year term ends next year. However, it appears they will not see out the term as the national leadership has reportedly sealed their fate.
The Daily News has learnt from three reliable sources, independent of one another, that the decision to disband the ANC KZN PEC has been finalised.
“The decision to disband the province has already been taken and the national executive committee (NEC) has also agreed on the interim structure to head the province until a new conference is held,” said an internal source.
The decision was “triggered” by the party’s poor performance in the province during the May elections.
The ANC in KZN under Duma plummeted from the 57% it achieved in 2019 to 16% in the recent May elections.
Following its poor performance, the ANC was reduced to the third biggest party in the province and forced to co-govern with other parties, including the IFP, DA and NFP.
According to insiders, this opened the floodgates of criticism against Duma and the entire provincial leadership.
“Mtolo and Duma met President Cyril Ramaphosa, who broke the news to them of the impending disbandment. It was more of a courtesy than anything,” said another source.
Among the names punted to be conveners of the once-powerful ANC KZN were those of Ramaphosa's staunch backer, former economic development and environmental affairs MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu and former eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo.
The Daily News understands that the looming decision to disband the ANC PEC in KZN was expected to be made official last week.
However, the party postponed it amid the chaotic discussions over the Government of National Unity (GNU), assembled by Ramaphosa after the ANC failed to get an outright majority nationally for the first time since the first democratic elections in 1994.
Leading up to the 2017 ANC elective conference at Nasrec, the KZN PEC then led by Sihle Zikalala, was abruptly disbanded for a string of reasons, including internal bickering and factionalism.
Neither Mabuyakhulu nor Nxumalo could be reached for comment.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri refuted the rumours of a pending disbandment of the KZN PEC.
She said the party would communicate such a decision if it existed.
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