Kokstad mayor not keen to talk about nomination for top ANC KZN position

The ANC Harry Gwala region’s preferred candidate for a position in the provincial ANC structures is keeping his cards close to his chest heading to the party’s KwaZulu-Natal conference.

 This follows the region’s announcement that its aim to have more representation at provincial level includes pushing for Kokstad mayor Bheki Mtolo for the position of provincial secretary.

 Yet, Mtolo remains coy about his plans.

 Speaking to TimesLIVE on Thursday, Mtolo said the issue of nomination or availability are internal matters at this point.  Mtolo said he can only engage with ANC constitutional structures and will only answer questions about it at the provincial conference, set to be held from July 20.

 “I’m not engaging regions (about the conference). I will only know what is happening when the elections agency reports about nominations at the conference. That is when the ANC will provide me with an opportunity to say my views, if there will be a need for me to do so. For now let’s allow branches to do their work without any undue influence or pressure from anyone,” Mtolo said.

However, ANC spokesperson in the region Qiniso Mnguni confirmed to TimesLIVE on Thursday that the region is already lobbying for Mtolo.

“The ANC in the region has taken a position to support comrade Bheki Mtolo as provincial secretary. We have tasked our regional chairperson (Zamo Nxumalo) and secretary (Zenzele Msomi) to engage other regions to join our plight,” he said.

Msomi said he is chairing meetings that are co-ordinating chairpersons and secretaries from all 11 regions, including Harry Gwala, that seek to come up with nominees that all agree with and can unite behind.

“Even though I can’t speak on the numbers as yet, I can tell you that there are other regions as well besides Harry Gwala that have raised their support for Mtolo to be the provincial secretary.

 “In fact Harry Gwala only planned for him to be in the top five so he can be in the PEC (provincial executive council) but other regions approached us and said they want him as secretary,” Msomi said.

Mnguni said they will push to exact more influence in the top leadership in the province by lobbying for other senior leaders from the region to be additional members of the PEC.

“We want Mam’ Nonhlanhla Khoza, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane and Fikile Masuku in the PEC. We are going for leaders from our region in senior provincial positions,” Msomi said.

 Khoza, who is the KwaZulu-Natal MEC of social development, hails from Ixopo, while Nkabane, who serves as deputy minister of mineral resources, and Masuku, an MP, are both from Umzimkhulu.

The ANC KwaZulu-Natal PEC announced on Wednesday that the final date for branch general meetings to elect delegates and nominate leadership will July 10 while the ninth KwaZulu-Natal conference will held on the weekend of 20-22 July in Durban at the Olive Convention Centre.

TimesLIVE