Sihle Zikalala makes a political comeback after topping branch nominations
Former ANC KZN chairperson Sihle Zikalala has received the highest ANC branch nominations for an NEC position.
Branches have pushed him forwards for the party’s highest decision-making structure between conferences as it prepares to elect new national leaders at the conference at Nasrec taking place from December 16 to December 20.
With 1,447 votes, this is a great comeback for Zikalala who was side-lined by his party in July when he was defeated by Sboniso Duma for the provincial chair position which snowballed into him not getting a seat in the provincial executive committee (PEC) and essentially resigning as Premier.
Zikalala served as the eighth Premier of KZN as well as the Provincial Chairperson of the African ANC until his resignation in 2022.
From 2016 to 2019, he served as the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government. He is now the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
ANC KZN spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said they support Zikalala when asked what the party’s views were following Zikalala’s NEC position nomination.
Political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu said he wasn’t surprised to hear that Zikalala came out a favourite in various branches.
“In politics one hour is one hour too long. Things change all the time. He may have not been popular on the day of the provincial conference and it’s possible too that those who might not have sided with him on that day have had a chance to rethink their position.”
Mngomezulu said even if ANC members in KZN didn’t see him fit to remain as chairperson, the national branches may have a different impression of him.
Reacting to former ANC KZN secretary, Mdumuseni Ntuli, who received the highest number of nominations countrywide for the position of secretary general after not receiving support from KZN, Mngomezulu said it was clear that nationally Ntuli was highly regarded.
Mngomezulu said the only surprise was that Ntuli didn’t get the support from his own province.
“In my view he had done a sterling job in the ANC in his previous positions. Other people seem to not understand Ntuli. Even my own colleagues misunderstand as I read somewhere that a political analyst felt Ntuli didn’t have national experience which was not true.
“Other branches see that he is an experienced person and they feel that he can do the job.: He said they hold him in high esteem.
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