Northern Cape ANC supports Cyril
First party body to back deputy
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa received at the weekend his first endorsement from an ANC structure to lead the party after its December national conference.
The ANC in the Northern Cape – among the party’s smallest provinces in numerical terms – resolved at its conference in Colesburg over the last four days that Ramaphosa as deputy president should succeed President Jacob Zuma.
Ramaphosa has previously been endorsed by ANC allies Cosatu and the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), but the Northern Cape is the first party structure to come out in his support.
The conference was, however, marred by allegations of the manipulation of nomination processes, resulting in it being twice postponed. A lastminute cabinet reshuffle by Premier Sylvia Lucas, who was contesting for the position of chairperson, also cast a cloud over the gathering.
She opted to decline nomination for the post at the 11th hour, resulting in the unopposed election of former provincial secretary Zamani Saul, who backs Ramaphosa for president, as the provincial chairperson.
In his closing remarks yesterday, Saul said since 1967 all presidents of the ANC, “without exception”, were first deputy presidents, as Ramaphosa is now.
“So, when the question arises about who should be elected as the president of the ANC in the 54th national conference, we should be guided by both the past practices and the leadership principles contained in Through the Eye of a Needle,” he said.
Through the Eye of a Needle is a document which serves as the party’s guide for electing leaders. Saul said only if Ramaphosa was found not to meet the requirements outlined in the document, should alternatives to his ascension be discussed.
He added that the election of the deputy president as the next leader would ensure the smooth transition from one leader to the next without plunging the ANC into crisis.
Saul also admitted that the political atmosphere in the province had become “polluted” in the run-up to the conference. Lucas said the main difference between her and Saul was their preference over party leadership – she is backing Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Saul warned those who disagreed with the outcome of the conference that if they did not abide by conference decisions, they would be “defining themselves outside the organisation”.
This came after Lucas’ supporters had warned that they would petition the ANC’s national executive committee to have the conference overturned and they even threatened they would go to court.
marriann@businesslive.co.za