ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa leads the Letsema Campaign in Mpumalanga on 3 September 2022. Picture: Twitter / @MYANC
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says he expects everything to go smoothly during nominations for the ruling party’s leadership which are set to open next week.
The nomination process will officially begin on Wednesday ahead of the ANC’s 55th national elective conference in December.
There will be several ANC branch general meetings (BGMs) taking place across the country, which has been marred by chaos in the past.
Speaking to the media in Delmas, Mpumalanga during the ANC’s Letsema campaign on Saturday, Ramaphosa said he anticipates a peaceful nomination process.
“The 4,000 or so branches of the ANC will get involved in the nominations of those they would like to see in the leadership of [the party] at the national conference. We don’t anticipate and there won’t be any form of disruptions [or] violence.
“It’s going to be an orderly process in line with the democratic culture of the ANC. It’s going to be very dignified and it’s also going to be a celebration of what the ANC is about,” he said.
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Ramaphosa further pointed out that the outcome of ANC’s national policy conference, held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in July, proved naysayers wrong.
“We held a very successful policy conference which many people had predicted it will be disrupted and would end in disarray [but] we were able to live up to what the ANC is about.
“Now we will go into branches… the provinces will also meet and thereafter the PGCs [Provincial General Councils] will meet [before heading] to the national conference,” the ANC president added.
With ANC electoral committee Kgalema Motlanthe having indicated that at least 50% of branch nominees must be women, Ramaphosa stressed on the issue as well as the importance of including young people in leadership positions while addressing delegates on Saturday.
“The future belongs to [young people] so therefore [they] must come into the leadership of the ANC, but we also want women. Women must be well represented in the leadership of the ANC [and] we must attain gender equality in the structure of [the party],” he said.
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The ANC president also commented on those who suggest that the ANC will get below 50% of the votes in the 2024 national elections.
“Part of this Letsema campaign is to make sure we get ready and prepare for the 2024 elections. I know there are people saying the ANC will dip below 50%, but those are just dreams. They are dreaming… that’s just wasteful thinking,” Ramaphosa continued to say.
ANC leadership hopefuls have already started campaigning way ahead of the formal nomination processes.
Former ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize and national executive committee (NEC) member Lindiwe Sisulu are vying for the governing party’s presidency.
According to reports, ANC head of policy, Jeff Radebe is also hoping his name gets traction in party branches during the nomination process.
Although some of the party’s leaders – including Limpopo chairperson Stan Mathabatha – have since publicly endorsed Ramaphosa for a second term.
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