Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu is shocked at the release of the list of names proposed by President Thabo Mbeki's supporters in the area for the party's leadership positions.

The province is known to be a staunch supporter of Zuma but his name is absent from this list.

The list emanated from KZN as all ANC regions begin the process of confirming their candidates for the leadership positions.

Names on the list include those of Premier S'bu Ndebele, pictured agriculture and environmental affairs MEC Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, public works MEC, Lydia Johnson, and tourism, arts and culture MEC Weziwe Thusi.

Mchunu said the KNZ list had surprised him because the party had already discussed and concluded names of the people who members felt should be in the top leadership positions.

"We had a meeting in July and two others in September where we discussed and concluded our top-six leadership list.

"But we are still in the early stages of nominations and the process is still on.

"Our main focus as the provincial executive committee (PEC) is unity before, during and after the conference.

"We do have a list that has been drawn and will send it down to the branches for consideration, said Mchunu.

He said PEC would not impose the list on the branches but wanted them to scrutinise it.

Mchunu said the branches should exercise their minds freely when scrutinising the list.

He emphasised that at this stage, PEC was not concerned about the names that were circulating, but unity within the ANC in the province.

"We have been informed about the said meeting in Johannesburg but that's not our concern at this stage," said Mchunu.