EC won’t be neglected even if it doesn’t get an ANC top six spot
A political analyst says the Eastern Cape won’t be neglected should it fail to secure a spot in the ANC top six after the national elective conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg in December.
Provincial chair and deputy president candidate Oscar Mabuyane and his predecessor Phumulo Masualle, secretary-general hopeful and deputy minister of public enterprises, made the cut when the party announced the top six nominees.
Another Eastern Cape-born leader, national chair and mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe, was also among the candidates.
However, it’s not the end of the world for the candidates who did not get the nod because they could still be nominated from the floor.
Political analyst Prof Susan Booysen said it was important to be part of the top six, but the ANC was a national organisation.
“The provincial interests do not necessarily get neglected in terms of policy and governance if there is not a person in the top six,” she said.
“We can only take it for granted there will be government members the Eastern Cape and issues can be taken forward.”
In the context of the ANC provincially, she said there was a sense of stature to have people from a certain province, especially as the Eastern Cape is the home of former presidents. “It’s a case of losing out on that but it is also a case of the wheel turning a bit “So across’ I don t the think provinces,” it has a devastating Booysen said. impact on the ANC in the Eastern Cape. It is nice to have that stature, but, yes, maybe that brings more mobilisation for the next round.”
She said Kwazulu-natal could be the biggest provincial loser rather than the Eastern Cape if former health minister and president hopeful Zweli Mkhize’s bid failed. “There is also [former KZN provincial secretary] Mdumiseni Ntuli [a secretary-general candidate], who seems to be in a very good position to make it,” Booysen said.
“The [branch] nominations can really, really change. Though the top three candidates are on the ballot, there are quite a few other nominations that are going to be regrouped and united on other candidates, so it is possible there can be better outcomes [for the Eastern Cape].”
Booysen said the Eastern Cape was going to be lobbied on where to take their vote. She said preparations for the conference had entered the phase of trade-offs and bargaining between the provinces.
“There is still a lot of space for mobilisation and interprovincial co-operation,” she said. “Even if the Eastern Cape does not win positions out of that, it can still set certain conditions like ‘we give our votes provided you give us this and that’.”
Booysen said if the province had a woman candidate, it could have been a powerful nomination from the floor. “From the floor, things can still be strategised,” she said.
“The Eastern Cape is the second strongest province and about 684 delegates can be very powerful for bargaining.”
The ANC’S electoral committee said last week the party would announce an additional 200 NEC members after votes had been consolidated, audited and all nominees vetted and confirmed available for election during the conference.
It said records showed that 3,543 out of 3,982 branches in good standing took part in branch general meetings that nominated the top six and NEC candidates. “This effectively means 89% of the branches have successfully participated in the nomination process, thus comfortably surpassing the 70% threshold required for the national conference to take place as per the ANC constitution.”