KZN ANC task team faces internal conflict over regional task team plan

A political showdown is looming within the reconfigured ANC provincial task team (PTT) in KwaZulu-Natal over the proposal to appoint regional task teams to replace regional executive committees.

Insiders in the provincial task team said there is a push by certain members of the PTT not to hold regional conferences and instead install regional task teams (RTT), until after next year's local government elections. Those in support of this move argue that if regions are allowed to hold elective conferences before local government elections, those who lose will be disgruntled and leave the party or not vote for it in the local government elections. 

However, some PTT members are against the decision and accused those in favour of wanting to control the regions so that they manage them until the provincial elective conference, to boost their chances of being elected into the provincial leadership.

One insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said the decision to appoint the RTTs may have also been influenced at Luthuli House by those who are positioning themselves for the national party conference in 2027. The source, who is a member of the PTT, said they are against the suggestion of a RTT and want the regions to go to conferences to elect new leadership.

“We heard about that in the corridors and we do not know where that is coming from because we have not discussed it in the PTT. We will not agree to it and we will push for conferences in the regions,” said the PTT member.

An ANC member in one of regions, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was in favour of the appointment of RTTs, arguing that if the party allows conferences without having revived branches, the powerful Ethekwini metro and Msunduzi regions would be lost in the next year’s elections.

“Allowing eThekwini and Moses Mabhida regions to hold conferences will be a disaster. Many of our members in these regions voted for the Umkhonto weSizwe Party, so the party needs enough to consolidate support in the two regions before local government elections, otherwise we must  say goodbye to controlling these two municipalities,” said the source.

A regional secretary, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was not opposed to the appointment of RTTs since many have had their terms of office lapsed, however, he wants conferences to be held before local government elections. He argued that regional leadership needs political power to control the deployment of members to the councils and be able to hold them accountable.

“Terms of office for many regions have already expired so the PTT needs to replace them with RTTs, if you keep regional leadership whose term has expired you are running the risk of being taken to court for illegitimate decisions. Such leadership has lost control of the structures because it is now illegitimate. The RTTs will prepare for the elective conferences, however, we will oppose a decision to keep RTTs until after the local government elections,” said the regional secretary

ANC provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi said the party has not yet decided on whether it will appoint RTTs or allow regions to hold conferences.

He said the party is awaiting a report from a team that was appointed to verify branches, saying that report will determine whether regions are allowed to hold conferences or not on the basis of the state of the branches.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za