The election of former ANC MP Nono Maloyi as the North West provincial chair could improve ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile’s chances of becoming the party’s deputy president.
Maloyi, who is seen as a Mashatile ally, was voted in as the new chair at the weekend, winning against North West premier Bushy Maape who has been in the position since 2021.
Mashatile has already received a nod from Limpopo, the province with the second-most ANC members. He is also expected to get support from his home province of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
This gives Mashatile, who is yet to announce his candidacy, the upper hand over other potential ANC deputy president hopefuls, justice minister Ronald Lamola and human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi.
Maloyi’s election is also said to have strengthened president Cyril Ramaphosa’s chances of re-election at the party’s leadership contest in December. Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Northern Cape have indicated their support for Ramaphosa’s re-election.
“The people that prefer Paul as deputy president, will use structures to cement that position,” said an insider in Mashatile camp who did not want to be named.
In an interview with Business Day Maloyi said: “The ANC has got a leadership and we support that leadership ... and we will support that leadership of the ANC to the maximum up until branches decide otherwise.
“We must give branches of the ANC [time] to reflect on those [leadership] issues.”
The North West’s elective conference results were announced in the early hours of Monday.
Community safety and transport MEC Sello Lehari was elected provincial treasurer while economic development MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi was defeated by Louis Diremelo for the position of provincial secretary.
Lazzy Mokgosi was elected deputy chair, defeating Paul Sebegoe while Viola Motsumi was elected deputy secretary.
This is the first elected ANC leadership in the North West since the ousting of former premier and chair Supra Mahumapelo.
The conference is set to reconvene in two weeks after delays including litigation and a breach of security leading to the cloning of delegates’ tags marred the conference, which was scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
The outstanding business of the conference includes the election of additional members of the provincial executive committee (PEC) and discussion of the ANC’s policy recommendations stemming from the policy conference, which was held in July.
Pronouncements of support for candidates for leadership positions is, however, symbolic because the ANC is yet to officially open the nomination process.
Business Day understands that the party’s electoral committee, headed by former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, recommended that the nomination period be open from August 22 to September 30 to allow for branches to nominate their preferred candidates.
However, the party’s top brass is understood to be against the nomination process being open until the end of September “because it is too short”. The national working committee discussed the issue until Monday night.
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