ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa: Image: Screengrab of video
African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged party members to elect leaders based on ability rather than factionalism at the December conference.
Ramaphosa was speaking to party structures in Kimberley during the Letsema campaign on Saturday.
He advised ANC members to elect leaders on the basis of their capacity and capability
“Elect leaders that you know are going to take this organisation forward and the revolution forward, not on a factional basis.”
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Meanwhile, on Sunday, the ANC president was asked by his own branch to return to the helm of the governing party.
Ramaphosa attended a branch general meeting in Chiawelo, Soweto, on Sunday accompanied by treasurer-general Paul Mashatile.
Mashatile was nominated for the position of deputy president, while Mdumiseni Ntuli got the nod for secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane as deputy secretary general and national spokesperson Pule Mabe was nominated as treasurer general.
Political analyst Rebone Tau told the SABC that while Ramaphosa has received endorsement from his own branch to lead the party for a second term, there are concerns among party members.
“One of the things that when you speak to some within the ANC, especially on the issue of the second term, they have been raising that he has failed as president of the ANC and president of the country.”
“I think he’s using this opportunity to speak to members of the ANC to say ‘I’ve not really failed, there were challenges and so forth,’ so that he can get that second term. It’s not going to be easy for him. He knows too, it’s going to be a very difficult one; anything is possible at this conference,” said Tau.
On Saturday, ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula sang Ramaphosa’s praises and defended the party leader, saying the party should not apologise when defending him when his under attack.
“We defended Nelson Mandela, we defended Thabo Mbeki, we defended Jacob Zuma, and we will defend Matamela as our president. If your branches say he must continue, there is nothing wrong because all of them got their second terms,” Mbalula said.
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