‘We will fight for Ramaphosa’ – CR17 lobby group
A new lobby group called CR17 was formed in Limpopo over the weekend with the sole aim of lobbying for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma in 2017.
Alex Matlala
LIMPOPO – A new lobby group called CR17 was formed in Limpopo over the weekend with the sole aim of lobbying for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma in 2017.
The group supports Ramaphosa as their preferred candidate to take over from Zuma in 2017.
The lobby group was formerly called Boko Haram but changed its name after several complaints were lodged.
The complaints were that the name was being associated with a group of hooligans that terrorised women and girls in Nigeria.
CR17 was formed after the funeral of former Speaker of Mopani District Municipality (MDM), Violet Mathonsi, in Nkowankowa outside Tzaneen on Wednesday.
The funeral was attended by, among others, former ANC Provincial Deputy Chairperson and Education MEC, Dickson Masemola, former ANC Sekhukhune Regional Chairperson and South African Local Government Association chairperson, Shoes David Magabe, former ANCYL Provincial Chairperson and Mopani Mayor, Joshua Matlou, ANC Deputy Secretary and former Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs MEC, Makoma Makhurupetje and Provincial Treasurer, Danny Msiza.
Mathonsi is the sister of former Premier, Cassel Mathale, who is now a Member of Parliament in Cape Town.
CR 17 is comprised mostlty of senior ANC bigwigs, mainly those who served under Mathale’s government before Zuma dissolved his administration prior the Manguang elective conference in 2012.
At the funeral last week, Mathale said no one is bigger than the ANC.
He said his late sister was removed as speaker of the MDM because he was removed as premier.
Another ANC bigwig in Limpopo, Kgomotso Molokwane, said the primary objective of CR17 is to fight with everything they have to deliver Ramaphosa to the promised land.
“We cannot fold our arms and wait for manna from heaven when KwaZulu Natal, the Premier League, the Youth League and the Woman’s League wants to ‘Zulu-nise’ the ANC, the oldest political party in the continent, by imposing another Zulu as party president.
“We cannot sit and relax when Zuma wants his ex-wife to succeed him.
“We are sick and tired of the Dlaminis. If it is not Sdumo Dlamini it is Bathabile Dlamini.
“We cannot handle another Dlamini in the name of Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,” he said.
Some members of ANC branches in Limpopo have already started printing T-shirts bearing the face and name of Cyril Ramaphosa as the next party President.
ANC provincial spokesperson, Aluwani Netshianda distanced the ANC from the printing of the T-shirts and said the succession debate has not yet been officially opened.
