The race is narrowing for the ANC top posts, hours before nominations begin. After a frenzied 24 hours of lobbying, about 4,000 delegates were yet to officially nominate their preferred candidates for the ANC top brass.
Unless others are nominated from the floor, it is expected to be a fiery two-horse race between President Cyril Ramaphosa and former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
There were high-level bilateral discussions between candidates, provinces and factions until the early hours of Saturday morning to try to find each other to avoid a contest — unsuccessfully thus far.
Business Day reliably understands that justice minister Ronald Lamola was asked to step aside from the CR22 caucus late on Friday night by ANC chair Gwede Mantashe.
Though Lamola was asked to step aside in favour of water minister Senzo Mchunu for ANC deputy president, Mchunu sent an envoy to President Cyril Ramaphosa in the early hours of Saturday morning to say that if his campaign did not gain traction, he would withdraw from the race.
Speaking to Business Day, Mchunu said: “If I am nominated I will accept.” But it is understood that the Ramaphosa caucus opted to move away from nominating Mchunu.
Mchunu entered the race late — even after the nominations for contestants appeared on the ballot paper. He will need 25% of the conference to endorse his entry into the race if he is nominated on the conference floor.
The CR22 campaign is now considering going back to Lamola and Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane to decide how best to move forward.
“This issue must be treated with flexible hands ... there is a possibility of a consensus leadership where all slates will be collapsed into one [as] a way of trying to pull everyone together,” Mabuyane told Business Day.
Business Day was informed by ANC national executive member (NEC) Derek Hanekom that the CR22 slate was chosen through a consultative process.
“It’s actually not a difficult or complicated thing. There’s a campaign and the kind of figures that were chosen through a very consultative process to be nominated for certain positions, for top six. That was the outcome of our consultation. That was the leadership team, it was made public.
“But at no point did we say it was a team that was engraved in stone and can’t be reconsidered ... This is a team that will be nominated at this conference ... with possible changes. But largely, it will be this team.
“I believe that Fikile Mbalula will be secretary-general. I can say that again, I believe he will. He’s been running his own campaign with full knowledge that he’s part of a team. Gwen Ramokgopa, I believe that she will be treasurer-general. Watch this space,” he added.
The CR team is Ramaphosa (president); Mchunu (deputy president); Mbalula (secretary-general); Mantashe (chair), Ramokgopa (treasurer-general) and Febe Potgieter (deputy secretary-general), said Hanekom.
ANC head of organising Nomvula Mokonyane, who received the leading number of nominations for the deputy secretary-general position, said the last-minute horse trading between provinces was due to the lack of a formal slate.
“Inasmuch as when you want to create slates, it’s tough to create slates in this conference. There are provinces that called caucuses [to choose slates] and branch delegates said no,” Mokonyane said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.