DURBAN - Injeje yabeNguni Council has endorsed Zandile Gumede to run as the chairperson of the ANC in the eThekwini region in the upcoming regional elective conference. The council has also thrown its support behind ANC MP Mervyn Dirks.
A statement by national secretary iNduna Langalezwe Chonco said the council, which represents traditional leaders (iziNduna), revealed that it had received a petition from its members who are also members of the ANC in the province to publicly support Gumede, who is a member of the provincial legislature, and Dirks.
“While we are knowledgeable of the fact that Injeje is non-partisan, we are hoping that the iziNduna on the executive committee assess our request on the basis of the masses of the Nguni people who still subscribe and support the ANC, regardless of its current challenges.
“The executive assembly, although not requested, also resolved to endorse MPL Zandile Gumede to become the ANC eThekwini region chairperson, without reservations.
“This was resolved based on her significant support for the Nguni women’s leadership not only in KZN but throughout the country, and the SADC region.
“We call on all our members who are ANC members to support these endorsements. We believe that the ascension of Nguni women in politics will be a fundamental catalyst to a radical socio-economic shift that will see the Nguni people of royalty escape en masse the colonial web of landlessness and economic ostracism,” read the statement.
Contacted for comment, Gumede said that she was humbled to hear that the traditional leaders had confidence in her.
“If the branches want me to ascend to the position, I will not refuse but accept their instruction because, in the governing party, we do not serve ourselves but take instruction from the ANC branches,” said Gumede.
Rallying behind Dirks, the suspended whip in the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), the council said Dirks was the only MP who had sought to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa to account for the leaked recording, where he said he would not reveal names of those who stole public funds.
“Dirks has been the only MP who has stood to make Cyril Ramaphosa account for his utterances, which clearly demonstrate how corrupt he truly is, even professing that he would fall on the sword, rather than be an honest person.
“That recording is the clearest indication of the gangster president we currently have, and his total disregard for our people who suffer excessive poverty, while the cost of living in our country soars to heights never before seen. We stand with Mr Dirks and he has our full support,” read the statement.
Dirks was suspended as Scopa whip after he wrote to the committee requesting Ramaphosa to account for not disclosing the names of those who stole public funds for political campaigns.
“Scopa and the Public Protector’s Office are both investigating the matter. In the recording, Ramaphosa was heard saying that he would rather fall on the sword than reveal the names of those implicated.”
Spokesperson for Ramaphosa, Tyrone Seale, did not respond to questions from the Daily News.
Injeje also endorsed MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube for the position of provincial chairperson, citing her contribution to the advancement of the traditional leadership while she served as MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs.
Daily News