Chief Kama endorses Sisulu
Second local community who want her to replace Zuma
HUMAN Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s bid for the ANC presidency received a boost yesterday when she was endorsed by Amagqunukhwebe Chief Nokwandisa Kama.
The minister arrived in the Eastern Cape yesterday to deliver a Walter Sisulu Memorial Lecture at the Xesi Great Place.
Her first stop was in Port Elizabeth, her spokesman Vusi Tshose said.
Kama’s subjects include residents of more than 20 villages around Middledrift, and some are ANC members and supporters who might attend the ruling party’s elective conference in December.
Yesterday was Sisulu’s second visit to the province in three months.
While she is yet to throw her name into the ANC presidency hat, she has been asked to avail herself for election to replace President Jacob Zuma in December.
Kama told the Dispatch on Thursday that she believed a woman was ready to lead the country.
“I think the country is ready at this stage to be led by a female president.
“We have invited Minister Sisulu to share with us what is it that they as politicians and MPs can do for rural people, especially gender-based violence so we want to hear that from her,” she said.
Should Sisulu accept nomination for the ANC top job, she is likely to go up against former African Union chairwoman Nkosazana DlaminiZuma, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, who have all put their hands up to replace Zuma. Xesi, where the memorial lecture was held, falls under the ANC Amathole region.
This is the second community within the region to invite Sisulu and endorse her as a possible ANC presidential candidate, after Reverend Z R Mahabane branch members in Keiskammahoek invited Sisulu there in March to address the branch, which was celebrating its renaming.
At the time, branch chairman Sipiwo Venkile said: “We want her [Sisulu] to lead the ANC in 2017 and lead the country in 2019 because the ANC will still lead this country come 2019.” — zingisam@dispatch.co.za