It’s not yet time to speak of candidates for leadership positions – Zuma

African National Congress (ANC) members shouldn’t speak about their preferred presidential candidates as yet for the party’s hotly contested national leadership contest, President Jacob Zuma reiterated on Sunday.

Speaking in Burgersfort, Limpopo, at the ANC’s 105th anniversary celebration, Zuma give examples of the kind of leaders party structures should look for in candidates to lead the governing party ahead of its 54th elective conference later this year in December.

Zuma urged ANC members to wait for the party’s national leadership to declare the succession debate formally open before naming candidates.

“They must have a proven track record and be able to organise and inspire the masses to be their own liberators.” he said to the thousands of crowds gathered at the event.

He said the ANC’s leadership knows that it has made mistakes but is working on fixing them.

“People who don’t make mistakes, are people who do nothing.”

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The ANC’s national executive committee members Fikile Mbalula, Faith Muthambi and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane were also present at the event.

Earlier two marquees had already been filled to capacity ahead of Zuma’s keynote address. Artists also took turns to entertain the audience.

Speaking at a similar event last weekend in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma said the ANC was currently fixing all the problems the party had been facing. He urged people to desist from talking publicly about their preferred presidential candidates, as a policy conference is still to be held ahead of the elective conference at the end of this year.

“We have to work hard this year and ANC members must regain lost territories from opposition parties,” he said.