On Saturday evening, Siboniso Duma was elected as the new KwaZulu-Natal ANC’s chairperson.

Duma, who comes from the party’s faction, dubbed the ‘Taliban’, defeated his opponent Sihle Zikalala by 265 votes at the provincial elective conference in Durban to clinch chairmanship position.

The contest was fought between the ‘Ankole’ faction, led by Zikalala, that supports a second term for President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the ‘Taliban’ grouping, which has the support of some of the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) branches in the province, and is linked to some powerful national leaders.

Duma, a member of the provincial legislature, received 930 votes, while Zikalala, the outgoing chairperson, obtained 665.

Provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane is the only female candidate who made it to the top five after being elected as the deputy chairperson. She outclassed her opponent Kwazi Mshengu by 266 votes, getting 927 in total.

Bheki Mtolo got 894 votes to oust Mdumiseni Ntuli (699) who was the provincial secretary in the outgoing provincial executive committee.

Mtolo is deputised by Sipho Hlomuka (895) who defeated Nontembeko Boyce (689), and Dr Ntuthuko Mhlaba received 857 votes to take the position of treasurer he was contesting with Jomo Sibiya (723).

The results for the top five positions were announced just before midnight yesterday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will no longer close the KZN ANC elective conference today as it was initially planned.

Duma said Ramaphosa had to attend to other commitments.

Duma said the conference will be closed by a member of the national executive council (NEC).