Picture File: President Cyril Ramaphosa (left) and his deputy, David Mabuza, during the ANC's national executive committee meeting at Saint Georges Hotel, Irene on May 31, 2019 in Pretoria. Picture: Gallo Images/Laird Forbes
ANC deputy president David Mabuza could challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa for the position of party president.
But some structures in Mpumalanga want him to be nominated for national chair as a second option as the top two positions could be out of reach for him.
If his nomination materialised for the top spot, Mabuza would join other challengers – Zweli Mkhize, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Lindiwe Sisulu – who were all seeking to deprive Ramaphosa of his second term.
However, Mpumalanga did not nominate him for any position. The province opted for Ramaphosa and Ronald Lamola as his deputy. Mabuza’s region, Ehlanzeni, nominated Ramaphosa and Lamola as his deputy.
Mpumalanga-based political analyst Goodenough Mashego said Mabuza was desperate for nomination and was looking for any position that would give him a good chance to be deployed in the Cabinet in future.
“Mabuza is afraid of losing in the top two positions, he knows chair is a position that will guarantee deployment for him,” Mashego said.
The expert said branches that followed provincial treasurer Mandla Msibi would automatically nominate Mabuza.
Mashego said: “What Msibi is doing is an act of populism. He is preparing himself to be known.”
The majority of the 130 branches in the region opted for Ramaphosa while nobody mentioned his challengers Mkhize, Dlamini-Zuma and Sisulu.
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