The ANC’s 2015 KwaZulu-Natal elective conference has been declared null and void‚ sparking what could be a leadership crisis in the province.

Two minutes was all it took for Judge Jerome Mnguni to deliver a devastating blow to the KZN ANC provincial executive.

The ruling‚ made in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday morning‚ means that the 30 members of the provincial executive committee elected at the conference could have their election overturned. This includes chairman Sihle Zikalala and secretary Super Zuma.

The short ruling came in what has been called the “ANC rebels case”‚ lodged by a faction supporting ousted chairman – and KZN Premier – Senzo Mchunu‚ who lost to Zikalala in a bitter and bruising internal battle. The application was led by Vryheid councillor Lawrence Dube and four other ANC members representing 43 branches. They went to court in July last year to ask for a rerun‚ citing various irregularities.

The news sent Mchunu supporters into frenzied jubilation outside the court.

The ANC’s PEC did not attend the court proceedings. Spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli was due to address the media‚ with a chance that they could appeal.