ANC KZN mum on decision to reconfigure its structure

3 minutes

The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has opted to remain mum on the decision by the party’s national leadership to reconfigure the provincial structure.

After months of speculation on the future of the ANC in the province following a dismal performance at the May polls, the National Executive Committee (NEC) announced its decision last week. But it’s yet to be decided how the provincial leadership will be restructured.

The ANC’s NEC has now paved the way for two of its biggest provinces KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to be reconfigured.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the party suffered a huge blow during the May election, its support dropping to just under 17%. This led to calls from some within the party for its national leadership to take action.

Alliance leaders, briefing the media for the first time since the announcement, evaded questions on the NEC’s decision.

“On matters of the ANC, we have agreed that in the ANC communication protocol, the people who will speak on behalf of the ANC are the national officials, especially on matters that are in the public domain and on policy matters led by the president,” says ANC Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo.

Video: ANC KZN Alliance media briefing – Fielding questions from journalists

Political killings

On other issues, both the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP) express their support for Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s decision to disband the Police’s task team on political killings.

It was established in 2018 by the government to focus on the investigation of political murders. At the time, the investigators had a caseload of over 140 matters to deal with.

Mchunu was of the view that the task team was no longer adding any value. The alliance partners are calling for an investigation into allegations made against the task team.

“There are very strange killings of potential suspects who are mysteriously getting killed every time there’s been a murder of a political leader. This is now telling us what exactly has been happening and what we have been suspicious of is that the police are involved in this. If the police are involved then its correct to disband them,” says SACP KZN Secretary Themba Mthembu.

The alliance partners further reiterate calls on the government to protect the embattled iThala bank, which is faced with liquidation.

Cosatu is also planning mass action against steel giant ArcelorMittal SA and the impending closure of its operations in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which could result in the loss of over 3 000 jobs.