Africa-Press – South-Africa. Despite receiving a meagre 81 branch nominations compared to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2 037, and former health minister Zweli Mkhize’s 916, Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma remains adamant that her pursuit of the ANC presidency remains on track.
In a video posted on social media, Dlamini-Zuma thanked those who were campaigning on her behalf and was adamant that her campaign was still on track.
“We are still on the campaign for president of the ANC; we are moving from this stance,” said Dlamini-Zuma in the 28-second video.
She said “it may not be easy”, but insisted that whether she emerged as president was still in the hands of those who were backing her.
Dlamini-Zuma and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who had been vocal about their desire to challenge for the ANC presidency, were all but knocked out of the race after not receiving enough branch nominations last week.
Dlamini-Zuma, who also contested the ANC presidency in 2017, received only 81 nominations, while Sisulu received 66.
Only Ramaphosa and Mkhize made it onto the ballot to contest the party’s top position at the ANC’s elective conference in just more than two weeks.
Political analyst Ongama Mtimka told News24 the ANC presidential race was not over.
“As long as there remains an albatross around the necks of the two leading candidates, then it’s not yet over for the other candidates like Dlamini-Zuma.”
He said “both the leading candidates are facing compromising scandals – not that this matters in ANC politics because people still do get elected despite those, but this does create fertile ground for a rethinking among the lobby groups. So, while her chances may look very slim at the moment, Dlamini-Zuma is still in with a chance”.
Mtimka warned:
Meanwhile, the Section 89 panel that will determine whether there is prima facie evidence to institute an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa will hand over its report to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday at 10:00.
Speaking to News24 over the weekend, ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe said it was unacceptable that only two women were among the 16 ANC leaders who received enough nominations to contest the top six positions.
He said more worrying was that those two women – Nomvula Mokonyane and Febe Potgieter-Gqubule – were vying for the same position, that of deputy secretary-general.
Mantashe said the only way this “shameful outcome could be undone would be through women being nominated from the floor”.
As such, candidates still hoping to be in the ANC’s top six, such as Dlamini-Zuma, still have a chance if they are nominated by at least 25% of the voting delegates at the ANC elective conference.
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