Africa-Press – South-Africa. KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi is heeding the call from ANC branches to contest the provincial ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) chairperson position, which will be up for grabs in the upcoming provincial conference.
KZN Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza, up until last year, was the league’s provincial chairperson.
Currently, there is a provincial task team (PTT) structure overseeing the women’s league in the province.
In an exclusive interview with News24, Sithole-Moloi, who is also the acting MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, said several branches had asked her to stand when the elective conference takes place in July.
The slates and other candidates will become clearer when the nominations process begins this week.
“For now, what I know there are people who have asked that I be the chairperson of the [provincial] women’s league. It’s not only one [group] or two; it’s a number of them. And I’ve accepted. I have no choice but to accept the nomination,” Sithole-Moloi said.
“They trust me as their leader and I have no choice but to accept the call. I know that people will be thinking I’m the one that asked [to be nominated].
“I didn’t think that I should be the chairperson. They asked me. The constitution of the ANC says a member may be elected and can elect people to any position. So, as a member, I’m also entitled to be elected and also to elect leadership in the organisation.”
The national ANCWL was disbanded early last year amid infighting in the ANC, and its leadership contest is scheduled to take place in Nasrec from 18 to 19 June.
The national conference’s nomination process is also expected to open in May. A few names, including Bathabile Dlamini, have been suggested to challenge for the position as the ANCWL’s national chairperson.
News24 recently reported that Dlamini would not be prevented from contesting despite her perjury conviction and the ruling party’s step-aside-rule.
“Comrade Bathabile, like every member of the ANCWL, has every right to participate in structures of the ANC. We are not isolating her because any member of the ANC may be found in that situation. The ANC processed everything around her; the fact that she is sitting in the ANC NEC does count,” ANCWL task team member Pinky Kekana said.
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