ANC mum on candidate
WHILE ANC provincial chairperson Zamani Saul has been elected number one on the ANC Province to Province list, the party yesterday denied that he was being punted as its candidate for premier of the Northern Cape.
ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga evaded questions during a press briefing yesterday regarding whether Premier Sylvia Lucas would be retained until next year’s national general elections.
Two-thirds majority
“We will nominate the premier candidate if we win the elections, of which we are confident of taking a two-thirds majority,” said Ngxanga.
ANC National Executive Committee member Collen Maine had in September called for Lucas to be removed due to the resolution taken at the 2017 provincial conference that she should vacate office.
Ngxanga said that Maruping Lekwene, Fufe Makatong, Bentley Vass and Mac Jack were nominated, along with Saul, as the top five Province to Province list candidates, which would entitle them to positions in the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature.
“Candidates will be put through a thorough screening process to ensure that they have the correct skills, qualifications, experience and knowledge for the job. If candidates have serious criminal charges against them, including rape, murder or corruption, they will not be considered. If they are insolvent, they will not be trusted to deal with public funds.”
Ngxanga added that the ANC provincial list conference would take place as planned on December 9 in Upington.
This is despite an upcoming court case that is scheduled to be heard in the Northern Cape High Court on Friday to interdict the provincial list conference from proceeding.
“We are confident of winning the court case because the application is based on malicious, ulterior motives. The ANC will never be disbanded and we will serve our full term of office. It is a lie that the nomination process is being manipulated.”
He added that after the provincial list conference all departments would be expected to focus on service delivery issues in the Sol Plaatje municipal district.