President Cyril Ramaphosa and former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize are the leading contenders for the ANC presidency. Pictures: Gallo Images/Philip Maeta and Nigel Sibanda
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ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and former health minister Zweli Mkhize are leading the pack in terms of the number of branch nominations for the governing party’s presidential race.
The ANC’s electoral committee, led by former president Kgalema Motlanthe on Tuesday briefed the media in Johannesburg on branch nominations for the ANC’s top six positions.
This is ahead of the party’s hotly contested 55th national elective conference set to take place next month at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec in the south of Johannesburg.
According to the total number of branch nominations received – including from the ANC’s leagues – Ramaphosa garnered 2 037 nominations to serve a second term as the party’s president.
His challenger for the top post, Zweli Mkhize, received 916 nominations.
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The ANC in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng have all endorsed Ramaphosa for re-election as party president.
The ANC’s biggest voting bloc, KwaZulu-Natal, pledged its support for Mkhize to be the president of the party.
The other candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring for the presidency, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, did not receive enough nominations to be on the ballot paper.
There are three contenders for the ANC’s second most powerful position, the deputy presidency.
ANC treasurer-general and acting secretary-general, Paul Mashatile, is the favourite for the position after he received 1 791 nominations from ANC members.
Justice Minister Ronald Ramola garnered 427 nominations while Eastern Cape Premier and ANC provincial chair, Oscar Mabuyane, received 397.
Incumbent ANC deputy president David Mabuza did not make the cut to return for a second term.
There are three candidates vying for the national chairperson position.
Limpopo Premier and ANC provincial chair, Stanley Mathabatha, is leading with 1 492 nominations.
Incumbent ANC national chair, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, received 978 nominations.
David Masondo, who is currently serving as the deputy minister of finance, got 501 nominations.
Former KZN ANC secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli is the favourite for the secretary-general position. Ntuli gathered 1 225 nominations from ANC members.
Former Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle is the second leading contender for the post with 889 nominations.
The ANC’s head of elections and Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, received 749 nominations.
There are two contenders leading for the deputy ANC secretary-general position.
The ANC’s national head of organising Nomvula Mokonyane is leading with 1 779 nominations. Her challenger for the position, the ANC’s general manager at Luthuli House Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, received 905 nominations.
Ramaphosa’s special advisor Bejani Chauke leads with 552 nominations for the ANC treasurer-general position.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe got 428 nominations while ANC Ekurhuleni regional chairperson, Mzwandile Masina, received 348.
Motlanthe said the process of tallying the number of nominations for the top six positions was not yet complete.
There will be an opportunity during the national conference for delegates to nominate candidates from the floor, he said.
“Any name that musters 25% of voting delegates will also be included on the ballot paper,” Motlanthe said.
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