It was a rather dull Saturday at the Nasrec Expo Centre if you were sitting outside what one ANC official has jokingly dubbed the “game reserve” – the plenary hall and surrounds at the ANC policy conference, walled by a high makeshift fence designed to keep journalists out.

From a distance it was possible to see the delegates coming in and out of plenary for lunch, standing in the sun to socialise, before going in to gather in commissions.

On the programme were discussions on organisational renewal, which included the diagnostic report delivered amidst some squabbling by Secretary General Gwede Mantashe the day before.

Fortunately for journalists, leaders like ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala, Women’s League president and Social Services Minister Bathabile Dlamini, and ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine were on hand to give interviews.

Free State Premier Ace Magashule even presented an hour-long show on ANN7, which left him with little to no time to speak to the other journalists outside.

Zikalala’s interview with the SABC was particularly interesting. He is the leader of the biggest and most powerful province in the ANC, and one of the chief campaigners for former African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for president.

When asked about unity, he said it would have been helpful for the ANC if the presidency wasn’t contested, but this could be unlikely.

“If we are still able to agree on one name, it will help the ANC,” he said. “But if we don’t agree on a name it will be better for us to discuss an approach that will be accommodative and try to stop slate politics.

“How to do that? If there are two candidates for the presidency we may need to consider whether one who will be elected becomes the president and then the one who isn’t elected, becomes the deputy president. That will help us to unite, instead of having slates, and then the one team coming with a top six or a top five,” he said.

This would unite the ANC ahead of the national elective conference in December, he said.

This happened in the province in 1998, when then deputy chairperson Sbu Ndebele competed for the top spot with provincial treasurer Zweli Mkhize. They ended up a few votes apart, with Mkhize being placed in deputy chairperson position. This repeated itself in 2002.

Why then did Zikalala say this? There are a few possibilities.

The first is that he was speaking from a position of weakness – should Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s camp win, then at least the winner won’t take all and Dlamini-Zuma’s people would still have a space at the table. The delivery of Manthashe’s report on Friday night, despite the Dlamini-Zuma camp’s efforts to block it, was considered by some as a defeat of the Zuma camp. Most delegates spoken to, however, think this is the least likely option.

He could also have been speaking from a position of strength. He has possibly gauged the balance of forces in the party as favourable during the plenary on the first conference day.

Those allowed into the venue said the Dlamini-Zuma supporters have been walking around with confidence on Saturday.

“You can see in their body language that they are winning,” he said.

Assured of victory, Zikalala might want the camp to appear like the one that’s reaching out, knowing full well they will get their slate anyway.

Ramaphosa is likely to refuse the deputy presidency should he run for president and lose, believing that, having been deputy president for five years, he should be the one stepping up to the presidency, as per ANC tradition. It’s unlikely that he’d agree to serve another five years under the president, even if it’s Dlamini-Zuma.

Another possibility mentioned by a delegate was that Zikalala did not believe in the candidate he was supposed to be backing – Dlamini-Zuma – but Zikalala could not openly say this.

“The problem is they have a gun to their head, if you know what I mean, so they can’t exercise their genuine feeling,” the delegate said.

In an effort to get a result that would please both camps, Zikalala has previously apparently said the two should agree to stand for chair and deputy, without contesting against each other or anybody else.

The last possibility mentioned hush-hush by another delegate was that Zikalala was actually considering crossing to the Ramaphosa camp, as Mkhize did a few months ago.

At issue is court case over the results of the December 2015 provincial conference, which rebel branches said Zikalala wrongfully won. The case is still dragging on, but there is talk that Mkhize has intervened to find an amicable solution outside court. Should Zikalala cross, it might have something to do with this. DM

Photo: Sihle Zikalala (Photo: Khaya Magenu/News24)