Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede has been elected as the new ANC chairperson of eThekwini, defeating Thabani Nyaose, the eThekwini council speaker, after receiving 210 votes while Nyaose got 181. Gumede was not present at the conference as the announcement was made as she had stepped aside following the ANC 2017 resolution that those who have been charged by the court of law should step aside.
Gumede’s slate won all the positions of the ANC’s biggest region in the country on Sunday evening. The former mayor of eThekwini won despite the fact that she is facing corruption charges. The Gumede faction celebrated as the announcement of Tembo Ntuli as deputy chair, Musa Nciki as provincial secretary, Nkosenhle Madlala as deputy secretary, and Zoe Tshabalala as treasurer.
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Gumede is facing charges of fraud, corruption and money-laundering with 21 other co-accused for the R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender which was awarded by the eThekwini municipality. Now that Gumede has won the position of chairperson it is yet to be seen if she will step down from her position until end her case has been finalised.
She indicated that if she won and was asked to step aside by the ANC she would do so. It is yet to be seen if she will indeed step aside now that she has been elected as the new chairperson. The case is expected to resume from 13 July to 31 August at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Source: News24, Daily Maverick, IOL, Times Live, image from IOL
