ANC Not Afraid of Zandile Gumede’s MKP Move Ahead of eThekwini Election Battle

Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, seen with MKP Secretary-General Sibonelo Nomvalo, after Gumede was recently announced as a new party member.

The ANC in eThekwini said it was not bothered by the acquisition of ‘politically dormant’ Zandile Gumede by Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), despite popular sentiment being that the former Durban mayor could be their trump card in the upcoming local government elections.

Since 1996, Durban's mayoral chain has been worn by ANC aligned members.

At a recent media briefing session on its readiness for November's elections, the party addressed the issue of Gumede's exit for the first time since she was paraded as an MKP member earlier this month.

There was strong belief that Zuma preferred Gumede as the MKP's eThekwini mayoral candidate, as she would pose a serious threat to the ANC's long-standing dominance in the region.