‘The branches will decide’: Mabuza says he’s available for nomination as ANC second-in-command

With less than two months left before the ANC elects new leaders at its December national conference, David Mabuza says he is available for nomination to stand for a second term as the governing party’s deputy president.

Road to ANC elective conference

Mabuza, who faces tough competition for the ANC’s second-in-command position from the likes of Paul Mashatile and Ronald Lamola, says his fate will rest in the hands of party branches.

“I will serve the ANC until I die in whatever capacity, whether I’m in a position. The branches of the ANC will decide. If they so wish, they can nominate me to proceed [as the party’s deputy president] and I will accept,” he said.

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Mabuza made the remarks on Saturday while speaking to journalists in South Hills, east of Johannesburg, where he handed over a newly built house to late anti-apartheid stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s longest-serving personal assistant Zodwa Zwane.

Mabuza also rubbished claims that he was attempting to cling on to his position in the ANC top six as “rumours”, saying he did not belong to any slate in the party.

He said he wanted to meet with other ANC leaders with the view to unite the party ahead of the much-anticipated elective conference set to take place from 16 to 21 December in Nasrec, Johannesburg.

“I am thinking about and I am looking at an approach of how I should approach it [engaging other ANC leaders] to pull things together,” Mabuza said.

Meanwhile, the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal leadership remains confident that former health minister Zweli Mkhize will emerge victorious in the upcoming ANC national elective conference.

This is despite some ANC branches endorsing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s second-term bid.

The ANC KZN provincial executive committee (PEC), which wants Mkhize to be elected party president in December, has endorsed the ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile, who is likely to contest the party’s deputy president position, and current Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha, who will be vying for the ANC national chairperson position.

Provinces that support Ramaphosa are Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Northern Cape.

North West, Free State and Western Cape are yet to state their position. North West and Free State are yet to hold their elective provincial conferences.

Additional reporting by Clive Ndou

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