GAUTENG MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi was elected the new ANC provincial chairperson on Sunday following the party’s elective conference at the weekend held in Benoni, Ekurhuleni.
Lesufi obtained 575 votes, beating his rival, Gauteng MEC for Coooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile, by 543 votes.
It was a case of deja vu for Lesufi; in 2018, Lesufi pipped Maile to the post by another narrow margin as the two fought for the deputy chair position.
For the position of deputy chair, Gauteng Finance MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko obtained 593 votes, beating Mzi Khumalo with 522 votes.
TK Nciza was elected the new ANC Gauteng provincial secretary after beating both Jacob Khawe and Thulani Kunene.
Nciza was on the #Adiwele slate with Maile.
Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and Property Management Tasneem Motara was elected deputy provincial secretary.
The position of provincial treasurer went to Gauteng Social Development MEC Morakane Mosupye.
The victory of Lesufi comes at a trying time for the ANC in Gauteng, with polls showing declining support for the governing party.
With national elections scheduled for 2024, there are fears the governing party could further lose support in Gauteng if the ANC fails to deal decisively with challenges of corruption, chronic power cuts, delivery of poor services and rising unemployment.
The ANC in Gauteng lost control of key metros of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to DA-led coalitions during the recent 2021 municipal elections.
DA mayors currently run the metros of Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe warned delegates about the ANC’s potential loss of Gauteng in the upcoming 2024 national elections.
Addressing the delegates at the weekend, Mantashe said that declining trust in the ANC was a great concern for the party’s leadership ahead of the 2024 national polls.
“Our support has declined dramatically. In all the three metros in Gauteng, we have fallen to below 40%, and it is quite an issue and a challenge we need to focus on. So, if the conference does not focus on that and it focuses on just elections, we must know that we are going to have a problem. But if it gives 10% to elections and the rest to the challenges facing the ANC, we will be better off, and we may recover in 2024,” said Mantashe.
“We were below 50% in 2021. If we do not do something dramatic, we are going to be in trouble.”
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