Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s slate has ditched Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and opted for Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane as its candidate for ANC deputy president.
In a last-ditch attempt to crack the whip and get in line, delegates to the ANC’s 55th national conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg, have appealed for unity among the different groupings.
During a meeting with delegates, senior Ramaphosa lobbyist Mondli Gungubele said only one name was needed to mobilise support around.
“There is a danger of going there with many names because we love them all, we can take all of them because we love them all, but nothing will come out of the results.
“If we make sure that we have one, we stand a chance of getting what we love. I appeal, comrades, that not everything we are saying here, not everyone supported everyone, but we understood the bigger picture,” he added.
“As a result of that and after engaging, especially Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KZN. We love all those comrades, but we proposed comrade Oscar [Mabuyane]. That is an outcome of a long engagement. We need you to support that name.”
Ramaphosa’s camp failed to convince either Lamola or Mabuyane to withdraw, opening the possibility that votes will be split between them and make the path clear for Paul Mashatile to emerge victorious.
The Mkhize camp mobilised its supporters outside of the main conference hall ahead of voting to give them a line of march.
“This morning, we are just here to salute you. We are here because of you,” Mkhize said, as his supporters said “Khabazela”.
“We are here to build a strong ANC. We are here to build a united ANC, bury the factions and the cabals,” he added, as the crowd answered: “Yes!”
The Mkhize camp expressed support for Mashatile, the ANC’s outgoing treasurer-general, for the ANC deputy president position.
Mashatile will have a face-off with Lamola and Mabuyane. Lamola only managed to secure his home province of Mpumalanga to back him and Mabuyane the Eastern Cape.
By Sunday morning, the different factions were working in earnest to consolidate their support base and do head counts of delegates. Both sides conceded the race was too tight to call.
The CR22 campaign instructed its supporters to vote for Ramaphosa as president with Mabuyane as his deputy, Gwede Mantashe as national chairperson, and Fikile Mbalula as secretary-general.
Tina Joemat-Pettersson has been punted as the first deputy secretary-general, Maropene Ramagkope as second deputy secretary-general and Gwen Ramagkopa as treasurer-general.
In the Mkhize camp line-up, Mashatile is the deputy president, Stanley Matabatha is the national chairperson, the secretary-general is Phumulo Masualle, and Nomvula Mokonyane is first deputy secretary-general.
Ronalda Nolumanga takes the spot of the second deputy secretary-general, and Mwzandile Masina is running for treasurer.
At the same time, there appears to be an effort to bring both factions together on a “mixed bag” leadership line-up.
In one of the lists circulating among delegates, Ramaphosa’s line-up has Mashatile as deputy president, Matabatha as national chairperson, Mdumiseni Ntuli as secretary-general, Mokonyane as first deputy secretary-general, Nolumango as second deputy secretary-general, and Benjani Chauke as treasurer-general.
Outgoing Deputy President David Mabuza was nominated from the floor but declined to run again.
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