PHUTI MOSOMANE
THE race to lead the African National Congress in the Free State appears to be too close to call after four different leaders representing various lobby groups vie to lead the province.
The Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) convenor Mxolisi Dukwana, Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela, former Maluti-a-Phofung mayor Vusi Tshabalala, and the former Free State ANC deputy chairperson Thabo Manyoni are currently in the running in the four-horse race.
The Free State province has been in disarray for a number of years and without an elected chairperson following the departure of former ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule, while attempts to unite the warring factions, including interventions by the senior party leaders, failed.
Following endless delays characterised by infighting and court cases, the party in the Free State announced this week that it was all systems go for the upcoming provincial conference after meetings with several senior party leaders, including ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
The long-awaited ANC Free State conference is set to kick off on Friday at the Imvelo Safari Lodge in Mangaung.
Free State ANC Interim Provincial Committee coordinator Paseka Nompondo said more than 75% of branches are ready to hold the provincial conference on Friday.
“The verification report confirmed that the branches that qualified after their Branch General Meetings (BGMs) were 242, which is about 75% of branches. This means that the Free State has surpassed 70% threshold to hold a Conference,” said Nompondo.
Both Fezile Dabi and Thabo Mofutsanyana regions are expected to hold their regional conferences shortly after the provincial conference this weekend.
“The outcome of the verification report puts Fezile Dabi and Thabo Mofutsanyana regions above 70% threshold. In the light of that report, the Interim Provincial Committee resolved that the two regions were ready to convene their conferences. Xhariep will be the last region to hold its conference,” said Nompondo.
ANC Free State IPC spokesperson Oupa Khoabane said 242 branches have already been verified and were now ready to be part of the conference on Friday.
“We have 242 branches which have qualified to be part of the conference,” he said.
In an interview with Inside Politics, former General-Secretary of the ANC Women’s League, Meokgo Matuba, called on the party to rally around a woman this time around in order to promote gender parity.
Ntombela, a former Deputy President of the ANC Women’s League, is the only female candidate contesting for the position of ANC chairperson in the Free State.
“I am uncompromising on the issues of advancing women at the forefront of implementing ANC policies because it is always women at the forefront of ensuring delivery of services to the people,” Matuba said in a wide-ranging interview with Inside Politics on Monday.
“The poor and the unemployed look to the women in the communities to provide. This is an opportunity for members of the ANC in the Free State to support and entrust women with the opportunity to lead. Where women are given an opportunity, they have shown maturity in leadership. I am particularly biased towards women leadership, and confident that our people will benefit,” she said.
Ntombela’s spokesperson, Sello Peterson, on the other hand, said the time for a female ANC chairperson was now.
“So far majority of branches have made their decisions. And she [Premier Sisi Ntombela] is leading. I don’t know if there is any other contestant, but as far as I know, Premier Sisi Ntombela will be elected chairperson this coming weekend,” said Peterson.
“She is working hard to ensure that jobs are created, turning around the economy and improving service delivery in the Free State. Since assuming the role of Premier, she has attended to each and every service delivery issue on the spot.”
Another ANC regional leader, who preferred not to be named, said Ntombela’s campaign has gained momentum in the province while the number of members supporting her were increasing, especially in the province’s biggest region, Thabo Mofutsanyana.
Ntombela, a former schoolteacher in the small farming town of Tweeling, previously served as the Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, and MEC for Social Development.
In March 2018, she was selected by the ANC to succeed Magashule as Premier.
She took office on 27 March 2018, and becoming the fourth female Premier of the province.
She was then elected Treasurer of the Free State ANC branch in May 2018.
By late night on Sunday, there was still last-minutes lobbying taking place across the province, with each group logged in “zoom meetings” to discuss leadership preferences.
The long-awaited provincial conference comes as the IPC faces court litigation against the outcomes of the regional conference in the Lejweleputswa region.
“The committee is concerned on the continued trend of referring organisational matters to the courts despite much effort done to resolve internal disputes satisfactorily. The court documents have been referred to our lawyers to prepare replying affidavits. The IPC has decided to defend the matter,” said Khoabane.
On Monday morning, Mbalula, accompanied by ANC NEC member David Mahlobo, met ANC structures in Mangaung, including members of the IPC, and Councilors representing the party in the embattled metro.
INSIDE POLITICS
