The Zuma-aligned KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) ANC leadership are facing yet another legal challenge - this time to strip them of their powers and bar them from operating out of the party's provincial headquarters.
This is after the Pietermaritzburg High Court last month ruled the 2015 election of the provincial leadership, led by Zuma ally Sihle Zikalala, unlawful and invalid.
Zuma and his backers have been pushing hard for Zikalala to remain at the helm of KZN in the run-up to the national conference in December, despite the majority of the national executive committee (NEC) believing that the province should be placed under the stewardship of a task team.
ANC KZN "rebels" vow to fight on
The group opposed to Zikalala and aligned to former chairman Senzo Mchunu - who brought the application to overturn the 2015 gathering on Monday - warned the ANC's national officials that allowing Zikalala and company to appeal the ruling would jeopardise the December conference.
However, this fell on deaf ears, as Zikalala's backers were permitted to proceed with their appeal of the judgment despite ongoing attempts to find a political solution to the impasse. Zikalala is a key backer of Zuma's preferred candidate for a successor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Mchunu is campaigning for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma.
Mchunu backers met their lawyers yesterday afternoon after taking a decision to firstly oppose Zikalala's bid to appeal. Secondly, they are set to apply for a declaratory order to enforce the earlier judgment and stop Zikalala and his leadership core from operating as the provincial executive committee, and to bar them from using the ANC headquarters, pending the outcome of the appeal.
KZN leader speaks unity‚ mum on decision of party’s status
Spokesman for this group, Sthembiso Mshengu, yesterday said they had warned that allowing an appeal could negatively affect the December conference. He expressed concern over the national leadership's apparent reticence to take "precise decisions" on this matter.
However, Sowetan understands that at an NEC meeting last week, the matter was not even permitted to be discussed. Instead, the NEC was informed about a NWC decision that national officials would visit KwaZulu-Natal on Monday to seek a "political solution" to the impasse.
Despite this, the officials still permitted Zikalala and his grouping to go ahead with an appeal, which Mchunu is said to be unhappy about.
KZN faction warns party over appeal
The Zuma-aligned KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) ANC leadership are facing yet another legal challenge - this time to strip them of their powers and bar them from operating out of the party's provincial headquarters.
This is after the Pietermaritzburg High Court last month ruled the 2015 election of the provincial leadership, led by Zuma ally Sihle Zikalala, unlawful and invalid.
Zuma and his backers have been pushing hard for Zikalala to remain at the helm of KZN in the run-up to the national conference in December, despite the majority of the national executive committee (NEC) believing that the province should be placed under the stewardship of a task team.
ANC KZN "rebels" vow to fight on
The group opposed to Zikalala and aligned to former chairman Senzo Mchunu - who brought the application to overturn the 2015 gathering on Monday - warned the ANC's national officials that allowing Zikalala and company to appeal the ruling would jeopardise the December conference.
However, this fell on deaf ears, as Zikalala's backers were permitted to proceed with their appeal of the judgment despite ongoing attempts to find a political solution to the impasse. Zikalala is a key backer of Zuma's preferred candidate for a successor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Mchunu is campaigning for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma.
Mchunu backers met their lawyers yesterday afternoon after taking a decision to firstly oppose Zikalala's bid to appeal. Secondly, they are set to apply for a declaratory order to enforce the earlier judgment and stop Zikalala and his leadership core from operating as the provincial executive committee, and to bar them from using the ANC headquarters, pending the outcome of the appeal.
KZN leader speaks unity‚ mum on decision of party’s status
Spokesman for this group, Sthembiso Mshengu, yesterday said they had warned that allowing an appeal could negatively affect the December conference. He expressed concern over the national leadership's apparent reticence to take "precise decisions" on this matter.
However, Sowetan understands that at an NEC meeting last week, the matter was not even permitted to be discussed. Instead, the NEC was informed about a NWC decision that national officials would visit KwaZulu-Natal on Monday to seek a "political solution" to the impasse.
Despite this, the officials still permitted Zikalala and his grouping to go ahead with an appeal, which Mchunu is said to be unhappy about.