Durban — As delegates prepare to vote for new ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal, all indications point to the Siboniso Duma and Bheki Mtolo bloc emerging as winners.
The bloc which was dubbed the Talibans was boosted by an endorsement by the all-powerful eThekwini region with 248 delegates which has thrown its weight behind Duma who comes from the region.
Duma who originally comes from Mthwalume on the South Coast is now an eThekwini resident and has a house in KwaNyuswa outside Hillcrest, west of Durban.
Duma who is currently a chair of chairs in the provincial legislature has surprisingly emerged as a favourite as chairperson and Mtolo as secretary.
The deal for the two former youth league leaders in the province was clinched on Thursday night in eThekwini's regional general council.
At the opening of the conference delegates mainly from Harry Gwala and eThekwini sang songs in favour of the Duma and Mtolo combination.
During the proceedings on Friday, the bloc reverberated into “wenzeni uZuma” song in an apparent show of discomfort at how former president Jacob Zuma was treated by the current ANC national leadership.
The bloc also repeatedly rolled its hands in the air which was regarded as calling for a change in the current national and provincial leadership of the ANC.
This can be construed as calling for current provincial chairperson Sihle Zikalala to be removed.
EThekwini regional secretary Musa Nciki told Independent Media on Saturday that his region was backing the Taliban group, a reference to the Duma-Mtolo bloc.
Nciki said he was very confident that with his region's support the group would emerge victorious when the results were announced later in the day.
The bloc's win which is full of radical economic transformation proponents – a group aligned with former president Zuma would be a boost for Dr Zweli Mkhize's chances to challenge the outgoing president Cyril Ramaphosa for party president in December.
The Talibans slate includes current Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane as deputy chairperson, current deputy secretary Sipho Hlomuka who was said to be leaving politics for a deputy director-general post in the national Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs department appeared to have changed his mind and availed himself as well as former Newcastle mayor Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba as treasurer.
Daily News