By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) Northern Cape provincial chairperson Zamani Saul has reiterated the province’s call for a second term for ANC president – Cyril Ramaphosa.
Saul was speaking in Kimberley on Saturday – where Ramaphosa was leading the Letsema campaign.
The campaign is focused on addressing community challenges, including service delivery and social inclusion, with the ANC president having recently visited Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
We are going to make sure that we implement the decision comrades that uTata Ramaphosa will get a second term comrades,” said Saul.
Last month, the province endorsed Ramaphosa for another term at party’s helm, with treasurer general Paul Mashatile as deputy president.
This comes ahead of the party’s national elective conference in December.
Though he has not said whether he will seek a second term as president, he has received endorsements from several provincial structures while some branches around the country have also nominated him officially during their meetings.
He is facing a challenge from former health minister Zweli Mkhize and Cogta minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma with the former being endorsed by the leadership of his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Ramaphosa arrived at the home of Ouma Martha Louw in Donkerhoek, as part of his campaign activities, where he celebrated her 82nd birthday with her as well as the officially handing over of her new RDP home.
Speaking to the gathered people, mostly dressed in ANC apparel, Ramaphosa said Louw had been one of the people who had spoken about their suffering as well as housing problems they faced when he had visited the province previously.
And that touched my heart, as it touches my heart with many other people who do not have houses,” Ramaphosa said as he thanked the provincial government for providing her with a house.
He said by building her a house, the Northern Cape government had given Louw dignity.
“Today she has dignity and we say thank you very much because it shows that we do listen as government. As I left I immediately said to the premier and them in the local government, I said she must get her house. That is the message that I left,” Ramaphosa said.
He then proceeded to a walkabout in Dingaan Street, Galeshewe, where he engaged a former mine worker who spoke to the president about concerns around working conditions and unemployment.
Ramaphosa also arrived at the Tommy Morebudi Sports Complex where he symbolically planted a tree with Tommy’s mother and the ANC provincial chairperson, Saul.