Boost for Ramaphosa camp
He is someone with immense capability which we can’t dispute
THE ANC in the Northern Cape has become the first province to endorse Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as its preferred candidate to replace President Jacob Zuma.
Although the endorsement had not been made official by the time of going to press yesterday, newly elected provincial chairman Zamani Saul said Ramaphosa was the right candidate to take the baton from Zuma in December.
The Northern Cape’s endorsement is a boost to Ramaphosa’s campaign as he has only received the backing of Cosatu and its affiliated unions so far.
Although the Northern Cape is expected to send one of the smallest delegations to the December elective conference, the province will add numbers to the Ramaphosa camp.
Saul’s endorsement is expected to embolden other party structures that support Ramaphosa.
“He has proved himself, more than once. He is actually the main architect behind the most democratic constitution that we have in the world,” said Saul immediately after being elected unopposed on Friday.
“He is the main architect behind the National Development Plan. He laid the foundation and came up with the plan of how to take the country forward.
“So, he is someone with immense capability which we can’t dispute,” said Saul.
During an interview with the Sunday Times in February, Saul was more direct in pledging his support for Ramaphosa.
“Historically, the general attitude of ANC members to their deputy president is that the deputy president should ascend and become the president.
“When a deputy president is elected, he is elected with a view to succession in mind, and that is the issue we’re dealing with,” he said at the time.
Saul’s camp made a clean sweep after the other group led by premier Sylvia Lucas declined nomination. Daluxolo Deshi Ngxanga was elected provincial secretary.
Lucas came under fire from the ANC and its alliance partners after she reshuffled her cabinet on the eve of the conference, which was being held in Colesberg.
She went missing for several minutes from the conference venue while the election agency overseeing the nomination and election process wanted to know whether she would accept her nomination.
When she finally re-entered, Lucas strolled across to where the media had congregated and announced that she would decline nomination.
She told reporters that she intended to take the proceedings up for review with the ANC national executive committee — the party’s highest decision-making structure between conferences.
In response, Saul said: “It is her right to do so.”
Saul is widely believed to be eyeing the premier position after being elected chair.