LOBBYING for President Jacob Zuma to retain his position as ANC leader at the party's elective conference in December is said to be intensifying in KwaZulu-Natal.

This is despite a decision by Luthuli House that discussion about the party's leadership contest would open only in October - when members will nominate their preferred candidates.

Sowetan has learnt that branches in one of the ANC's biggest voting regions - eThekwini - are already hard at work lobbying for Zuma.

This has apparently opened the door for other branches to follow suit by openly campaigning for Zuma in their meetings.

A senior ANC member told Sowetan that in branch meetings in KZN people could not fold their arms while in other areas the issue was being discussed.

"The debate is still underground now, but we are clear in KZN that we want Zuma as president," he said.

He also pointed out that Zuma's supporters could not keep quiet in the face of public calls by the national leadership of the ANCYL for the president to replaced by his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe and secretary-general Gwede Mantashe to be replaced by sports minister Fikile Mbalula.

The source said it was public utterances by ANCYL leader Julius Malema that have mobilised ANC branches in KZN to start lobbying for Zuma.

It estimated that KZN will make up 35% of the delegates at the Mangaung conference in December.

The campaign for Zuma's re-election is also set to receive a major boost with the expected re-election of provincial chairman Zweli Mkhize, a well-known Zuma ally.

KwaZulu-Natal's provincial elective conference is scheduled for April 11-13 in Newcastle.

ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala said they were behind Zuma.

Political analyst Nathi Mazibuko said the ANC needed to discipline members who discussed the leadership issue when the organisation's national executive committee had said the issue should not be discussed