KZN chair Duma reads riot act to disrupters

ANC KwaZulu-Natal delegates, who tried to disrupt the party's national conference on Friday, were read the riot act and told to behave, provincial chairperson Sboniso Duma said.

“We told comrades to please behave, raise your hands inside plenary because it's a democratic process."

Duma said the discontent among the KZN delegation was rooted in unfulfilled promises by the outgoing national executive. 

“I think for our people it’s an issue of unemployment, the issue of inequality, the issue of the state bank which hasn’t been implemented by this current leadership. So people have been waiting for it, and the issue of 1994... we got political power and no economic [power],” Duma said on the sidelines of day two of the ANC national conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg.

He was responding to questions about former president Jacob Zuma’s role at the conference where he is seated among delegates as opposed to the ANC national leaders.

“He’s a branch delegate. He was elected in his branch, so he qualifies, so he will follow the line and participate. He’s the heritage of the ANC and, like former president Thabo Mbeki, we have to take from their wisdom from time to time,” Duma said.

KwaZulu-Natal took centre stage during day one of the conference after delegates from the province attempted to get on the stage where President Cyril Ramaphosa was seated alongside other national executive committee members.

During the ruckus, Duma, who came in a few minutes after a brief clash with security guards, reprimanded one KZN delegate, asking him why he was trying to collapse a conference “we’re winning”.

KZN endorsed Ramaphosa’s rival, former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, for the ANC presidency. 

On how his province acted on Friday, Duma said he told the delegates their behaviour was “un-ANC”, adding that the provincial executive committee condemned the behaviour. 

Duma said on top of the challenges faced by delegates, they were also frustrated by the ANC’s registration process which delayed the start of the conference. 

On lobbying ahead of the official nominations, he said lobbying was still under way, adding that all provinces were still talking to each other.

“It is critical to lobby and lobby until the end. That’s the nature of the conference and we’re amenable as KZN and we’re not arrogant,” Duma said.