Former president Jacob Zuma was elected to lead the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) at its provincial elective conference in Durban.

He was at the funeral of a relative when he was elected on Sunday.

Sanco is an alliance partner of the ANC, with a focus on civil rights and community-based activism.

Zuma was elected in absentia as Sanco KwaZulu-Natal chairperson at the Durban University of Technology ML Sultan Campus.

His re-election comes after his first election was nullified after the structure he led was disbanded.

He was then returned as the chairperson of the provincial task team that prepared the recent congress that was held over the weekend.

This means Zuma, as the provincial chair, will welcome delegates and share a stage with ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the invited guest speaker along with Secretary General Fikile Mbalula to the national elective conference.

A delegate told Scrolla.Africa that Zuma's availability to contest the election took many by surprise. It was announced on the day of the conference that he was contesting against senior ANC leader Lucky Moloi who is a former chairperson of the Inkosi Bhambatha Region. The region is made up of Msinga, Nquthu, Dundee and uMvoti.

"We were surprised by Zuma's availability because we thought he was not contesting. Worse part he was not even present as he was at a funeral," said the delegate.

Sanco has been used as a political comeback by many leaders in the KZN ANC politics including those who have retired and those who have been cast out of power due to factionalism.

Sanco has been suffering from major internal infighting since the era of its president Ruth Bhengu and other leaders who used the ANC-aligned organisation to fight then-president Thabo Mbeki ahead of the ANC elective conference that was held in 2007 in Polokwane.