CR17 leads preliminary presidential race with most branch nominations – report

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is reportedly the leading candidate in the ANC’s heated leadership race, having received the most branch nominations from the governing party’s members, Mail & Guardian reports.

According to the weekly, of the 1 138 ANC branches (out of a total of about 3 800 branches in good standing) that had held their branch general meetings (BGMs) by Thursday, 768 nominated Ramaphosa as President Jacob Zuma’s successor.

Zuma’s preferred presidential candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, received 360 nominations from branches, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal. However, these numbers could change in the next few weeks as the remainder of the BGMs are held.

Meanwhile, the ANC’s other presidential hopefuls —Lindiwe Sisulu, Zweli Mkhize, Jeff Radebe, Baleka Mbete and Mathews Phosa — reportedly appear to have fallen by the wayside at this early stage of the nominations process.

M&G also reports that Ramaphosa supporters have been making overtures to Mkhize to join their slate as his deputy, while Dlamini-Zuma’s camp on the other hand are trying to convince Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza to accept nomination as her deputy.

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