INSIDE POLITICS TEAM|
WITH only just three months before the ANC’s elective conference, there is a strong campaign on the ground for a first female president and deputy president to emerge as leaders of the governing party.
The ANC’s internal leadership contest in December is expected to gain momentum this week when the party officially opens nominations on September 7.
A least four senior women are expected to contest for the positions of ANC President and Deputy President.
The party’s national executive committee (NEC) member Nomvula Mokonyane made a clarion call last week for women in the ANC to nominate and vote for each other at the national conference and lobby for an all-woman Top Six.
The new conference rules compel delegates to elect at least two women to the top six.
The rules, which were endorsed by the NEC in July, are aimed at enforcing gender parity [50% women representation] in all its structures.
Inside Politics understands that several branches in KwaZulu-Natal are currently lobbying for Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, one of the most senior members of the ANC, to become the party’s first woman president.
The party’s KZN branches are expected to officially announce their decision before the end of the week.
Dlamini-Zuma contested the position of President at the last ANC conference in Nasrec in 2017 but lost to Cyril Ramaphosa.
There is a strong lobby as well for national executive committee (NEC) member and Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu to throw her name in the ring and contest the governing party’s Presidency in December.
In 2017, Sisulu contested the position of Deputy President but lost to David Mabuza, who managed to broker a deal with Ramaphosa’s camp.
Last week, coordinators of the ANC’s Fort Hare branch in the Amathole region, Eastern Cape, said several ANC branches, regions and some provincial leaders have approached minister Sisulu, asking her to contest the leadership position of the ANC at the party’s elective conference in December.
Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has also confirmed she will accept nomination for the position of Deputy President.
Last month, the Moloto Tambane branch in ward 14 Soweto endorsed Kubayi for the position of Deputy President.
Kubayi is seen as a rising star in the ANC and was recently appointed the head of the party’s economic transformation subcommittee.
Kubayi succeeded Enoch Godongwana, who relinquished the powerful party position after being appointed Finance Minister in August last year.
Ayanda Dlodlo, who recently took up a position as an executive director representing three African countries on the World Bank board, is also being lobbied for the position of ANC Deputy President.
Dlodlo, a veteran of the ANC who served in several camps in Angola during the liberation struggle, is the former State Security Minister.
She was appointed as the Minister of Public Service and Administration on the 5th of August 2021 until 2022
Dlodlo holds a post graduate qualifications in Shipping and Transport Management, Management Development, Business Management and Executive Development.
Meanwhile, Mokonyane, who is also a member of the ANC Women’s League, said last week that she was concerned that women had also not emerged as chairpersons of provincial conferences.
Currently, no woman in the ANC holds the position of provincial Chairperson.
However, three provinces, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, recently elected women as Deputy Chairpersons.
Florence Radzilani, a former mayor of Vhembe, was elected as Deputy Chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo.
In Gauteng, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, who previously served as deputy-secretary, now serves as Deputy Provincial Chair.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Nomagugu Simelane was elected the ANC’s Deputy Chairperson.
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