Durban – A meeting between the ANC’s top brass and the party’s eThekwini branches, which was meant to sort out internal organisational problems in the region, was cancelled on Tuesday.
Instead the officials, led by President Jacob Zuma had discussions with the provincial executive committee (PEC).
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said the meeting with branches was postponed and scheduled to take place on another day which still had to be announced.
“The leadership, however, briefly told the comrades from branches who had gathered at Durban City Hall that once their engagement with the PEC is done, a date for another meeting will soon be communicated,” provincial spokesperson Sicelo Khuzwayo said in a statement.
The region, which is the ANC’s biggest, has been marred with controversy with the party failing to convene a successful conference.
On Sunday, following a two-day national executive committee meeting ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe announced that the party’s leadership would visit the area after its visit to another troubled region, Nelson Mandela Bay.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday Mantashe said the top officials were visiting the regions – Nelson Mandela Bay and eThekwini – because there was “relative instability”.
The eThekwini conference, which was scheduled to convene for the fourth time, was adjourned indefinitely earlier this month after disgruntled members, believed to be in Councillor Zandile Gumede’s faction, disrupted proceedings.
EThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo and Gumede were in the race for the highly contested position of regional chairmanship.
Last week, eThekwini councillor Nigel Gumede was reportedly poised to join the race.
Opposition parties in the province were unhappy on Tuesday when Nxumalo cancelled a mandatory executive council meeting to host Zuma.
The parties felt it was unfair that party politics were addressed on taxpayers’ time and money.
Khuzwayo at the time said this was a planned visit and that Zuma was not only visiting to deal with the troubled eThekwini region, but also to sort out other internal issues facing the region.
eThekwini Municipality head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa, confirmed that Exco was cancelled because the president was in the city.
News24
