Durban – The decisions made at branch general meetings of the ANC in coming weeks will be crucial in the build-up to the December elective conference.
The nominations process, originally scheduled to have started on September 7, only began on Sunday after a special national executive committee meeting essentially rubber-stamped the step-aside resolution.
Provincial leaders of the party from Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal wasted no time and met on Monday to discuss policy positions and leadership preferences. Mpumalanga is asking for support in their nomination of current president Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term and Ronald Lamola as deputy president. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Dr Zweli Mkhize are also being mentioned as candidates for party president. The KZN ANC wants to take its time in making a decision and will wait for branches to nominate before announcing its preferred candidates.
The deputy president position will see fierce contestation with the likes of Paul Mashatile, Lamola, Oscar Mabuyane and Mmamoloko Kubayi being mentioned as candidates.
Current deputy president David Mabuza is not being mentioned but Mpumalanga provincial treasurer Mandla Msibi on Saturday said he would prefer Mabuza to Lamola.
“Let’s go back to the branches of the ANC… we are going to the national conference to correct the mess in the party.
“When they tell us about generational mix we don’t speak about age, we speak about generations of detachment,” Msibi said.
He said he would endorse Mabuza for a second term.
It is believed that KZN would like to see former provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli as a candidate for the position of secretary-general of the party, and Fikile Mbalula may also be in this race.
The names of Pule Mabe and Mzwandile Masina have been mentioned for the treasurer position.
With the nomination process under way, branches will have to finalise their list of NEC candidates by next month and by October 10 there will be a consolidation of nominees – six officials and 80 NEC members nominated by each province.