ANC’s most powerful position is open

The ANC is heading for its 55th elective national conference in December, but the absence of suspended secretarygeneral Ace Magashule from the scene has given rise to speculation about who might fill the position next.

Last week, the appellate court dismissed Magashule’s application for leave to appeal against his suspension by the ANC with costs. He might approach the Constitutional Court but his chances of standing for re-election in December have been minimised by the loss of the appeal.

Initially, acting secretary-general Jessie Duarte stood in pole position to succeed him – being both the deputy and a female. But some provinces are discussing KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli for the position. Duarte is presently off due to ill-health and has been absent for some time, leaving Paul Mashatile as acting secretary-general. Having served two terms as deputy, it was expected Duarte would become the next secretary-general.

If she is not elected, it would be the third time she has been overlooked for the party’s most powerful position. The election of a woman to fill the top spot in ANC is long overdue. This was highlighted recently by ANC Northern Cape chair Dr Zamani Saul on his social media page. Saul raised the historic exclusion of women in the party’s top leadership, particularly the presidency and the secretary-general positions.

ALSO READ: Employers likely to use CCMA ruling to dismiss unvaxxed employees – experts

The first woman to be elected into the top six was Cheryl Carolus as deputy secretary-general at its 49th conference in 1994. Carolus was followed in the same position by Thenjiwe Mtintso, Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele, Thandi Modise and Duarte.

At the 52nd and 53rd conferences, Baleka Mbete emerged as the first woman ANC chair. According to Saul, Mbete and Duarte’s elevation paved the way for at least two women to be in the top six. In 110 years of existence the ANC has never had a woman as president, deputy president, secretary-general or treasurer-general. Yet in the past three elections, women constituted the majority of those who voted for the ANC.

But bringing a KZN member into the top six seemed to be the focus of many branches and Ntuli is also seen to have all the features of a unifying secretary-general.

– ericn@citizen.co.za