EC standoff for ANC leader
A MAJOR showdown is looming in the Eastern Cape after the ANC provincial leadership threw its weight behind Cyril Ramaphosa while the Amathole region announced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as their preferred candidate to take over as party president in December. Both decisions were communicated yesterday.
The provincial executive committee (PEC) decision to back Ramaphosa was made by provincial chairman Oscar Mabuyane after the newly elected PEC held its first meeting at Dan’s Country Lodge near Mthatha at the weekend.
Said Mabuyane: “This was a special resolution from the conference where the branches instructed us as the PEC to lobby for the election of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to become the president of the ANC.
“The election of the current deputy into [the] presidency proved logic[al] to us and will create consistency and stability, which will in turn provide investor confidence in the ANC-led government.
“We have delayed pronouncing on national leadership because of the obvious reasons which included the needed focus on our own provincial conference,” said Mabuyane.
The Amathole region took a special resolution to back Dlamini-Zuma at its regional executive committee (REC) meeting yesterday.
Amathole regional secretary Teris Ntutu said Dlamini-Zuma’s discipline and commitment to service delivery and her humility underpinned the ANC’s values.
“It is for this reason that the REC took a resolution to support comrade Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be the next president of the African National Congress,” said Ntutu.
The clash between Mabuyane’s PEC and Ntutu’s REC was to be expected, as they stood on opposite sides during the chaotic Eastern Cape provincial conference when Mabuyane defeated Phumulo Masualle two weeks ago. Ntutu supported Masualle.
Alfred Nzo regional leaders have already declared that they want ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize in the ANC top six.
But the race remains wide open, as the names of national executive committee member Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete and former treasurer-general Mathews Phosa remain in the pool for the top position. —
● See also page 4