Quarrels over voting delay process
Party bigwigs decline several nominations
The ANC’s leadership contest got heated when delegates couldn’t agree on an electoral process to be followed in electing the party’s top leadership at Nasrec yesterday.
By early evening members had not started voting for the new leadership in what is probably the fiercest leadership contest in recent years. Until late last night the tension between the backers of the two presidential candidates, Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, was intense.
What sparked the heated fight over voting methods was electoral commission chairperson Sindiso Mfenyana’s proposals that delegates should not go to the booths with lists of candidates to vote for national executive committee. He suggested they should have some form of identification.
ANC Women’s League secretary-general Meokgo Matuba said delegates should vote by conscience, and be open to persuasion by others.
Other delegates supported her. This included DlaminiZuma campaigner and Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina who told the plenary that people should be allowed to vote using lists so they did not end up voting for popular people because they appear on “television”.
ANC stalwart Tony Yengeni said, to huge applause from the delegates, he didn’t understand what the problem was. He said the conference was the highest decision-making body and nobody could reject its decision.
A delegate who saved the day was NEC member Naledi Pandor. She pleaded with both Mfenyana and national chairperson, Baleka Mbete, to let the conference elect the top officials, and debate the NEC list further. Ramaphosa was nominated by 1 469 branches in six provinces while Dlamini-Zuma had the backing of 1 094 branches in six provinces.
In an interesting development, treasurergeneral Zweli Mkhize declined nomination for the position of deputy president from 193 branches. David Mabuza was nominated by 113 branches, while Lindiwe Sisulu got 619 branch nominations, for deputy president. Both Pandor and Nomvula Mokonyane declined nomination for deputy president and national treasurer. Elections for top 6 positions, including new ANC president, started last night.