The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal insists that provincial leadership should have been informed of certain events Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa attended in the province recently.

The provincial leadership addressed the matter on Wednesday during a press briefing in KZN to inform the public of outcomes from its recent provincial executive meetings.

Ramaphosa last week visited the province to assist the ANC in campaigning in Nqutu by-elections. However, Ramaphosa also attended a cadres' forum meeting in Newcastle and a Shembe church gathering in Empangeni.

At the Shembe church gathering, Ramaphosa openly admitted that there were problems within the ANC and implored church elders to pray for the party.

ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma said Ramaphosa was invited for the by-elections and should have informed provincial leadership of his plans.

"The deputy president was invited by PEC in Nqutu for two days. I was with him the first day the whole day. The deputy secretary was with him the second day. He never once mentioned other events."

Zuma downplayed any inference that the province was unhappy that Ramaphosa was campaigning.

"No-one in the ANC is campaigning or allowed to campaign."

Appetite for politics

According to provincial spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli, the ANC planned to march to "defend the ANC vote".

Ntuli said the ANC in the province felt that the "judiciary shows appetite to encroach on politics".

He said opposition parties taking President Jacob Zuma to court over his Cabinet reshuffle was infringing on politics.

"Judges are playing in a space that is a political space. If we do not overcome this, judges are going to tell the president who should and who should not be in Cabinet."

According to Zuma, the booing of ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete during her May Day visit was "disrespectful".

He said that the ANC met with alliance partners before May Day where they were told there would be no booing.

Zuma said he felt that Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) members were not ANC aligned.

"Not all members of Cosatu are ANC. Some are from DA while others are from IFP. I know it."