The ANC’s treasurer- general, Paul Mashatile, on Friday evening confirmed to the media during a briefing that Ramaphosa would be attending the conference on Sunday. A source from the presidency has also told Daily Maverick that Ramaphosa will be in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Mashatile explained that there is a perception that delegates are upset about the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma after he was found to be in contempt of court last year. He was released on parole after a short period of imprisonment. 

KZN ANC conference delegates line up for registration at the Moses Mabhida People’s Park in Durban on 22 July 2022. (Photo: Phumlani Thabethe)

Delegates at the highly contested conference sang a song in support of the former president, “Wenzeni uZuma”, which loosely translated into English questions what Zuma has done to be incarcerated. 

Mashatile said that the song was not directed at anyone, and further went on to explain that Ramaphosa is likely to be received well.​​

ANC TG Paul Mashatile has confirmed that party president Cyril Ramaphosa will be attending the #ANCKZNconference on Sunday.

— Queenin Masuabi (@Queenin_M) July 22, 2022

“In all meetings of the ANC, we expect our members to receive our leaders with discipline. I know that sometimes when they sing, you think that they are not receiving somebody warmly. Let delegates sing. As comrade Sihle [Zikalala] was saying, when they were singing today it was not directed against anybody, but they want you, as a leadership, to note their concerns. The song ‘Wenzeni uZuma’ has a history and, therefore, when delegates see leadership, it is an opportunity for them to say leadership takes note of our pain. The president has confirmed that he is coming on Sunday. We have not received any reports so far which suggest that he is not coming. 

“We are in touch with him because, as you know, there are so many things happening in the government. We keep touching base about who should be doing what,” according to Mashatile.

KZN ANC conference delegates line up for registration at the Moses Mabhida People’s Park in Durban on 22 July 2022. (Photo: Phumlani Thabethe)

Ramaphosa has faced renewed backlash from staunch Zuma supporters since the news of the forex theft at his Phala Phala farm made headlines. Zuma ally and Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans former spokesperson Carl Niehaus has openly campaigned against Ramaphosa by encouraging branches to reject the president if indeed he ends up speaking on Sunday. Niehaus, who was dismissed from Luthuli House in September last year,  is also behind the #Ramaphosamustgo protest which took place in Johannesburg last week. 

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Niehaus, who was attending the KZN conference as an ordinary member of the ANC, was adamant that Ramaphosa should not be allowed to speak because of the allegations made against him. “The delegates of the conference and in fact, ANC members and members of broad civil society, should not allow Ramaphosa to attend and address this conference. For well-delineated charges, he has to address those. He has to clear his name … and he has failed to do so,” claimed Niehaus.  He then went on to blame Ramaphosa for Zuma’s “illegal” incarceration and said the former president’s supporters remained disgruntled. “On what basis is he allowed to have a platform to address the largest province of ANC membership in the country. … His presidency has inflicted unknown and unmeasured harm on the people of South Africa, but very specifically, on the people of KwaZulu- Natal.”

Ramaphosa will appear before the ANC’s Integrity Commission over the coming weeks, where he will be called to account for what happened at his farm. 

The ANC KwaZulu-Natal conference commenced on Friday afternoon at the Olive Convention Centre, following hours of delays mainly emanating from discussions by the eThekwini regional general council. 

The more than 1,600 delegates eventually gathered to be addressed by Mashatile, and outgoing provincial chair Sihle Zikalala delivered his political report. 

Zikhalala is now delivering the political report. He urges delegates to be disciplined throughout the the duration of the conference: “We should not disappoint the people of KZN.” #ANCKZNconference pic.twitter.com/vXLvUIAaN6

— Queenin Masuabi (@Queenin_M) July 22, 2022

On Saturday, the party will vote on new leadership. Zikalala will be contested by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance and long-serving ANC leader Nomusa Dube-Ncube as well as businessman Sandile Zungu. 

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance and long-serving ANC leader Nomusa Dube-Ncube arrives at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on 22 July 2022. (Photo: Phumlani Thabethe)

Read more in Daily Maverick: “ANC’s KZN provincial conference this weekend may prove crucial for party and country”

Other names on slates that have been mentioned include ANC provincial executive member Siboniso Duma; ANC’s former director-general of KwaZulu-Natal, Nhlanhla Ngidi; and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport Peggy Nkonyeni. 

The name of corruption accused and former Durban mayor Zandile Gumede has also been linked to contesting for the position of provincial treasurer. However, the updated “step-aside” guidelines do not allow participation under these conditions. DM