THE ANC in Limpopo has resolved during its provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting on Monday to support Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as ANC President at the party’s elective conference in December.
This is despite the fact that Ramaphosa faces a political backlash for concealing a robbery at his private game farm in Bela Bela, Limpopo.
“The PEC decided that going to the National Conference, it will support Cde Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as the ANC President, the PEC is of the firm view that Cde Ramaphosa is a best candidate to lead the renewal program,” the party said in a statement following the meeting of the PEC held on Monday, 05 September 2022.
The ANC is to hold its national elective conference in December to choose new leaders to lead the party for the next five years.
ANC branches are expected to nominate their preferred candidates for top leadership positions as from Wednesday.
ANC Limpopo PEC further said it will support the party’s Treasurer-General and acting Secretary General Paul Mashatile for the position of Deputy President.
The PEC also resolved to support Stan Mathabatha for the position of national chairperson.
So far, three of the four biggest ANC provinces are behind Ramaphosa’s bid for re-election, even though there’s no guarantee that their provincial structures will follow suit.
They include Limpopo, Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Branches and regions in Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga are divided on whether Ramaphosa must avail himself for a second term.
But all eyes will be on ANC KwaZulu-Natal this week when provincial leaders and regions endorse their preferred candidate to lead the party in December.
Thus far it remains unclear whether the new provincial leaders will back Ramaphosa’s bid to win a second term. However, a faction loyal to former President Jacob Zuma says the province will field a candidate to contest Ramaphosa for the party leadership.
The province boasts more than 200,000 of the party’s membership and various preferred candidates to lead the party were mentioned in the last few months, including former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
On Monday ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni said in a television interview that Ramaphosa does not deserve a second term.
Yengeni also criticized the current leadership of the ANC for failing to implement the resolutions that were agreed to in NASREC.
“My personal approach is a matter of public record. The ANC has is own internal processes to guide its work and preparation for conference. But this time around, we have seen what we have never seen before. Members of the national executive committee of the ANC going public to promote what they call the second term for the president when the nominations are yet to be open for everybody,” said Yengeni.
“Members can’t say anything because that process is not open, but that leadership that should be guiding are running up and down to promote a second terms for the president.”
“You see if you have to get a second term, it must be on basis of the work you have done in improving the living conditions of the people of the country.”
“We went to a conference in Nasrec, resolutions were passed and has that mandate been implemented? How do you bring back a leadership that has failed to implement its own mandate?”
Analysts say Ramaphosa’s failure to address inequality and unemployment present the risk that the ANC may lose its majority in the next election scheduled for 2024.
Ramaphosa’s administration is also criticized for rampant corruption and for not effectively pursuing policies to help poor South Africans.
The president is also facing increasing pressure over the country’s electricity crisis that has seen rolling power cuts.
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