Mabuza being ‘punished’ for turning on NDZ, may relinquish DP position – report

According to a report in the Mail & Guardian on Friday, ANC and national deputy president David Mabuza may not be nominated as a member of parliament by several ANC members in provinces that are angry at him for unexpectedly backing Cyril Ramaphosa on a “unity” slate at December’s Nasrec elective conference for the ANC.

He had been on Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s slate as deputy president, but his unexpected decision to apparently support Ramaphosa gave him the edge over his rival. Mabuza has maintained that he merely allowed Mpumalanga branches and delegates to support whomever they preferred, but the M&G reports that the province has become “highly divided now” and is struggling to hold a provincial general council.

Some provinces are reportedly now “not keen” to support Mabuza during the list process to select who will be sent to parliament either.

A Dlamini-Zuma supporter claimed Mabuza has been something of an absent president due to all the anger he has engendered among some in the party. The deputy president was understood not to be favoured by Ramaphosa’s slate to begin with, supposedly leaving him with few real friends in the ANC.

However, Ramaphosa ally Enoch Godongwana has called on ANC members to support Mabuza.

Life, however, is apparently so tough for Mabuza now that ANC insiders told the M&G he may even be willing to let a woman take over as national deputy president in 2019, following elections, according to his confidants – in a bid to make peace with the “NDZ camp”.

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the party has been encouraging members to set aside their differences.