Ramaphosa gets backing of NUM
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) yesterday reiterated its support for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed President Jacob Zuma as the African National Congress (ANC) leader, which would see him become president of the country in 2019.
NUM general secretary, David Sipunzi, said the union believed its founding general secretary, Ramaphosa, was a good candidate for president despite public perception that as a billionaire businessman, he was part of monopoly capital.
Sipunzi was briefing the media following the union’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting which took place last week.
“The NEC reminded itself that the 2016 central committee of the NUM has, in early June, taken a decision to support the candidacy of Cyril Ramaphosa for president. This is not only based on the tradition of the ANC, but also on the suitability of the candidate,” Sipunzi said.
“Ramaphosa has put aside all his business interests to focus on politics. He has been deputy president, so we believe he has been groomed enough to take over.”
Zuma is expected to stand down as the ANC president at the party conference in December next year ahead of national elections in 2019 when his tenure as the country’s leader will also come to an end.
But the ANC Women’s League on Sunday reiterated its call for a female president and vowed to support a woman during the party’s national conference next year, presumably African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana DlaminiZuma.
Sipunzi said though it was the prerogative of the leadership of the ANC to elect new leaders, the NUM as a workers’ vanguard had a vested interest as to who leads the ANC. – ANA