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'Wenzeni uZuma' ANC KZN conference delegates chant as Gwede Mantashe speaks

ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe.
ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe.
Image: IHSAAN HAFFEJEE/The Times

Chaos erupted at the KwaZulu-Natal provincial conference on Friday night as national chairperson Gwede Mantashe took to the podium.

Disgruntled members who are seemingly former President Jacob Zuma supporters chanted “Wenzeni uZuma, wenzeni uZuma” loosely translated: “What did Zuma do?” 

Mantashe, who was deployed to the conference to deliver a key note address on behalf of the party’s top brass, was prevented from speaking despite attempts from the provincial coordinator Sihle Zikalala pleading with them to stop chanting the songs.

SowetanLIVE witnessed majority of delegates singing and banging tables each time Mantashe attempted to speak.

However, Mantashe said he was going to speak despite the disruptions from a “minority”.

“Unfortunately I am going to speak here tonight unless it is not an ANC meeting. If it’s a factional meeting, I won’t speak,” said Mantashe.

It is understood that Mantashe was booed as a result of him being aligned to now ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa leading up the party’s elective conference in December.

The provincial elective conference was meant to start on Friday and end on Sunday but was however interdicted by disgruntled members.

The KwaZulu-Natal high court in Pietermaritzburg granted an urgent application and the matter has been adjourned to 7 July.

This is a developing story.

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