The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), which had listed former President Jacob Zuma as one of its disputed office bearers in KwaZulu-Natal, has informed the African National Congress (ANC) that it has disbanded its warring provincial executive committees (PEC) in pursuit of a united organisation.

This means that Zuma and others elected earlier this year in a disputed provincial election no longer have their initial positions, but will steer an interim structure.

On 1 June, Sanco KwaZulu-Natal wrote to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, notifying him that the organisation was disbanding its divided structures. 

On 6 June, the warring provincial factions held an "integration meeting" at the Coastlands Hotel in Durban.

The organisation also has two national executive committees (NEC) embroiled in a court battle, but said it was working on reaching a compromise. 

A letter by Sanco convener Richard Hlophe Mbalula titled "Request for Sanco to resolve internal issues and provide details of authentic representation as alliance partner", stated: "Please be informed that the two general secretaries from the Alexandra and Durban NECs [who are in court] met as directed by both their NECs to deal with the challenges faced by the organisation and come up with proposals that would help to unite Sanco."

The two structures agreed to disband.

They also agreed to allow the establishment of a National Interim Coordinating Committee [NICC] and that a previously agreed upon constitution be used by the interim structure in the lead-up to a suggested elective conference.

The conference will be coordinated and convened by the leaders of the two factions.

Another agreement they reached was to settle an outstanding issue out of court. 

The two camps also proposed for the elective conference to sit in November. 

Meanwhile, Zuma told Sanco members at the integration meeting that their movement was of great importance.

He said it was important that the ANC doesn't fall "to 30%" because that means Sanco would've failed, too.

Zuma was referring to a comment attributed by the Sunday Times to Mbalula, who had been musing about the party's fortunes in next year's general elections.   

Zuma said he wouldn't leave the ANC as it was his home. 

His foundation's spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi has hopped from the ANC to the ATM and now the EFF. 

Zuma told Sanco members:  "I was talking to some men. I told them you don't run away from home. How do you run away from your parent's home [the ANC]?

"Even if a mamba attacked me, I will hold it with my hands... But I won't run away from my home," Zuma said. 

In a veiled reference to his political nemesis, President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma said they needed to get rid of the person in charge as he "wasn't born to be there". 

"And if he has brothers like him, we push all of them out as well," Zuma said.  

Zuma told the audience that rich white people doled money out to ANC members to divide and conquer them. 

"Since 1994, white people have been consolidating. With the majority we have, we can change everything, including the Constitution," Zuma said.

In a bid to unite the organisation, the two "NECs" are trying to reach an out-of-court settlement and have appointed Richard Mkhungo as national convener and Mike Soko as national coordinator. 

In a statement first issued to News24, Sanco said that now that the organisation has one NEC, their "unitary" decision will have to find expression at the grassroots level as "whatever happens at the NEC level must find expression at the PEC level." 

"Therefore, it is inevitable that provinces which have two PECs will be collapsed and merged into one," the statement said. 

"The opposite is true that not all provinces had more than one PEC because other provinces were not affected by this division, such as Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces. Of course, unity meant that people would lose their positions both in the NEC and PEC, but cognisance is given to the fact that it was never about positions in the first place, but about volunteerism and to serve selflessly."

The new provincial structure comprises provincial convener Zuma, deputy provincial convener Lawrence Dube, provincial coordinator Sizwe Cele, deputy provincial coordinator Lucky Hadebe, provincial treasurer Sabatha Mzimela and provincial organiser Mduduzi Hlatshwayo.