ANC secretary-general hopeful Mdumiseni Ntuli. File picture
DURBAN - Campaigners for former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli to be elected to the all-powerful ANC secretary-general position at the upcoming 55th national conference said they would use the branch nominations extension to consolidate his support.
One of Ntuli’s lobbyists, Sabelo Sigudu, told the Daily News that they welcomed the extension and would use the period to push for more support for Ntuli.
He said by last Tuesday’s deadline, Ntuli was still leading in the nominations for the secretary-general position.
Sigudu said they were not disturbed by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaigners who, when formulating their slate, snubbed Ntuli for Fikile Mbalula two weeks ago.
The lobbyist who comes from KwaZulu-Natal said Ntuli’s campaign was gaining momentum since he was getting more endorsements from branches.
Sigudu added that those who meet in the air-conditioned boardrooms and impose lists on the branches would be humiliated in December when they learn that branches had rejected slate politics.
“We welcomed the National Executive Committee decision to give branches more time because that gives us more time to consolidate Ntuli’s support, but so far we are happy with the way (things) have shaped up and we have no doubt we will go to Christmas with Ntuli as the party’s new secretary-general,” said Sigudu.
In its meeting last week, the NEC again extended the October 25 deadline to November 7. It also directed provinces to consolidate their lists by November 12.
The NEC was forced to shift the deadline by another week after it learnt that out of close to 4,000 branches, only 1,333 were ready for the conference.
This number meant that the conference was not going to sit as it needed 70% of the branches in order to be legitimate. It was reported that provinces were lagging behind with KwaZulu-Natal at 417 branches out of 835.
Out of 559 branches Limpopo was said to be sitting on 205 qualified branches, while the Eastern Cape trailed at 181 out of 641. North West was said to be the worst affected by the backlog with only 42 ready out of 342 branches.
Ntuli, who was defeated by former Kokstad mayor Bheki Mtolo for the provincial secretary position at the conference in July, was likely to face off with former youth president and current Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, former Eastern Cape chairperson and premier Phumulo Masualle, former Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa and former Gauteng premier and Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane – who in the current slates circulating are also being mentioned as having shown interest in the party’s second powerful office after the presidency.
Mbalula, Ntuli and Ramokgopa are wanted by those who also want Ramaphosa to take a second term, while Masualle was touted by those who were pushing for former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize to become the president. Mokonyane seemed to be the favourite for both camps.
Masualle’s chances are not yet clear since he was coming from the pro-Ramaphosa province of Eastern Cape, while Ntuli was likely to benefit from Mkhize’s supporters from KwaZulu-Natal who preferred him over Mbalula.
It was believed that those who were doubting Mkhize’s prospects against Ramaphosa would push for Ntuli’s election to ensure the province’s representation in the party’s highest hierarchy known as the top six.
Although Mbalula enjoys more national status than Ntuli as a minister as well as former youth league president, Ntuli was likely to have an edge over him since he has a better understanding of secretarial work.
Apart from being an NEC member, Mbalula has never held any position in the party since 2008 after he handed over the youth league presidency to Julius Malema.