ANC WOMEN’S LEAGUE READY TO TAKE MEN ON
The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) is seeking to assert its influence in the political sphere and on the economic front like never before.
It is now bucking the status quo in the ANC’s provincial structures – which have traditionally been male-dominated – by calling on the party in Northern Cape to elect a female leader at its conference next month.
Since its new leadership under president Bathabile Dlamini, the league is pushing to have women in senior positions in the ANC as well as ensuring that economic programmes included women.
For the first time, the ANCWL is united in pushing for a woman to lead the ANC in Northern Cape.
Even after being chastised by the national leadership for calling for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be party president in December, the ANCWL in Northern Cape has come out in support of premier Sylvia Lucas to be elected chairwoman.
Lucas’s nomination is seen as part of the league’s strategy to be in a better position to influence the leadership outcome of the national conference at the end of the year.
Currently, no woman leads any of the country’s provinces.
Lucas will square off against provincial secretary Zamani Saul, who is believed to be backing Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to
“League wants Sylvia Lucas to square off against Zamani Saul
succeed President Jacob Zuma.
Saul is also seen to be preferred by secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.
ANCWL Northern Cape secretary Nontobeko Dapula yesterday said the league would engage ANC members to support women candidates at the conference.
“The principle of gender mainstreaming of women is now central to the character of the ANC.
“The important role that women play in our province and country today is a natural progression of the progressive policies and practices of the ANC,” Dapula said.
The league is also questioning the current political system, saying it is time the country debated the possibility of a parliamentary democracy instead of the current constitution-based system.
“It is evident that some clauses of the constitution are exploited by opportunistic and anti-transformation agents to undermine government programmes and to reduce black people to beggars and the landless in the country of their birth,” the league’s secretary Meokgo Matuba said.
Matuba released another statement on the ongoing annual mining indaba in Cape Town wherein she called for 50% ownership by women, and black women in particular.
She also said 50% of procurement should be allocated to black women.
“The ANCWL will be disappointed if the majority of participants at the indaba are males while there are various challenges faced by women in the industry.”
Matuba said if the indaba does not address these critical issues, “the gathering will be nothing but talks of how the previously advantaged do not worry about the protection of the marginalised ...”