By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) nominated just two candidates to run for its top job on Saturday, leaving President Cyril Ramaphosa facing the health minister he suspended over corruption allegations in a party vote.
The winner will have the ANC’s blessing to run for president in 2024 elections under its banner, historically a shoo-in for the country’s top job since the party’s leading light Nelson Mandela ended white minority rule in 1994.
The ANC’s 55th conference, which started on Friday, 16 December, has been marked by delays and technical glitches.
A number of Mkhize’s lobbyists maintain that several key regions and provinces have promised that Mkhize would get their vote, but they would not openly support his campaign “for fear of losing jobs or being prosecuted by the law-enforcement agencies”.
Mkhize, who also ran against Ramaphosa when the latter won the position in 2017, denies wrongdoing. Both had been nominated ahead of the conference, and no additional candidates were added from the floor as nominations were concluded around midnight on Saturday.
According to the ANC’s credentials document, KwaZulu-Natal, at 887, brings the largest number of delegates to the conference, while the Eastern Cape has 657 delegates. Limpopo, which is divided on who to support between Mkhize and Ramaphosa, at 593, has the third largest number of delegates.
Dakota Legoete, an ANC National Executive Committee member and deputy head of organising in the ANC, says the position of ANC president is going to be hotly contested during the party’s four-day elective conference, which is currently under way at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
“I can tell you here that this conference is neck and neck. Every lobby group will tell you that they are winning. But from where I am, I can say that it is not easy to tell who is going to win. The lobbying groups are meeting behind the scenes and this will happen until delegates vote,” he said.
Derek Hanekom, an outgoing NEC member (he has declined nomination) and a leading figure in the CR22 election campaign,meanwhile rubbished claims that Mkhize was closing the gap on Ramaphosa.
“I don’t agree with those who say they will win this conference. Of course, the President has got numbers on his side. I base this on the lot of research that [we have] done … conversations we have had with provincial coordinators, with elected provincial leaders.
“We know what the delegates and what their sentiments are in this conference … You can see it inside the halls. We’ve seen it through nominations. You cannot even compare the [number of] nominations [received by the President] with the other nominations.”
Nominations for the top 7 are as follows:
Nominations for president: Cyril Ramaphosa, Zweli Mkhize.
Nominations for deputy president: Ronald Lamola, Oscar Mabuyane and Paul Mashatile
Nominations for chairperson: Gwede Mantashe, David Masondo and Stanley Mathabatha
Nominations for secretary general nominations: Mdumiseni Ntuli, Phumulo Masualle and Fikile Mbalula.
Nominations for first deputy secretary general: Nomvula Mokonyane and Tina Joemat-Pettersson
Nominations for second deputy secretary general: Maropene Ramokgopa and Ronalda Nalumango
Nominations for treasurer: Bejani Chauke, Pule Mabe, Mzwandile Masina and Gwen Ramokgopa.
After a fractious start to the gathering on Friday, which saw Ramaphosa subjected to jeers, chants and calls to quit by opponents, delegates at the ANC’s conference must decide which candidate is best placed to revive its fortunes.
The voting is expected to start this morning at 09:00.