The newly appointed ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal is expected to provide a plan on how it will expedite an audit of branches in the province when it outline its programme of action on Wednesday.

The 67 expanded provincial executive committee under the guidance of former ANC national policy head Jeff Radebe as a convener (chairperson) and former Economic Development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu as a coordinator (secretary), held their first meeting on Monday.

Although the media was not allowed inside, except for a brief opportunity to take pictures, it is understood that the party will brief the media on the adopted programme on Wednesday and top of the agenda is how it will expedite a branch audit so that regions can go to their elective conference.

Many regions, including the crucial eThekwini region, are due for their elective conferences while some regional leadership have seen their terms of office expire.

EThekwini regional spokesperson Mlondi Mkhize said the region’s readiness to hold the conference next month has already been thrown into disarray by the delays in announcing the reconfigured provincial structure.

Mkhize said the previous leadership under Siboniso Duma (former chairperson) and Bheki Mtolo (former provincial secretary) had already started discussions with the regions.

This includes eThekwini which is understood to have started drafting the roadmap to its conference.

“It is no longer possible for us to hold our elective conference next month as we had planned so we are waiting for the guidance from both the provincial and national leadership,” said Mkhize.

With the current chairperson, Zandile Gumede, seemingly out of the race because of a court case and step-aside rule, the contest is rumoured to be between municipality Speaker Thabani Nyawose and Nkosenhle Madlala, the current deputy secretary of the region.

Other regions whose terms have expired or are about to expire are Nokuhamba Nyawo in the north-east of the province, Mbuso Kubheka (Newcastle), Harry Gwala in Ixopo in the south-west and General Gizenga Mpanza, which includes KwaDukuza.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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