Africa-Press – South-Africa. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Saturday told ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) delegates that they should stop being over-reliant on men’s guidance but instead make their own decisions and not be consumed by male factions.
Mbalula gave an opening address at the ANCWL conference which is taking place at the Nasrec Expo in Johannesburg.
The conference is expected to elect a new leadership for the league after disbanding the previous one in 2022.
Mbalula said ANC women were now set to take control of their leadership, and their priorities should be centred on defending women.
He said too many in the league leaned heavily on the reliance on political guidance from men and said the aim of the league was that it should have its own voice.
Mbalula said:
He pointed to the controversies affecting vice-chancellors in some of the country’s universities.
He said leaders such as Unisa vice-chancellor Puleng LenkaBula and former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng needed to be shielded from what he saw as political attacks based on their race and gender.
LenkaBula and Phakeng have faced questions around their leadership and effectiveness in their positions.
“When we talk about women, the ANC leads the fight against gender equality; no one else does. When a woman is elected vice-chancellor, you must be the first to defend them. Why are you sitting when women are being attacked? A woman at UCT is vandalised, Mamokgethi, and where are you?”
Mbalula said the ANCWL had to adapt and be strong in the modern era where women’s struggles against unemployment and gender-based violence continued to mount a challenge. He said women must be at the forefront of leading these struggles.
The ANC leader said the league’s conference comes as the party faces stiff criticism over its governance, especially ahead of the 2024 national elections.
Mbalula said political attacks claiming the ANC had not improved people’s lives post-1994 were untrue.
“We have an election to deal with. If you decide to stand in this conference and you are defeated, there is still hope. This conference is taking place when people say the ANC has not done anything and that the ANC has not delivered with 30 years of misrule and misgovernance, and that is total disinformation and a lie that is peddled. Some believe this lie.”
“We have built roads and houses,” he said.
Mbalula said the ANCWL had to adapt and be strong in the modern era when women’s struggles against unemployment and gender-based violence continued to grow. He said women must be at the forefront of leading these struggles.
The conference is expected to continue late into the night where nominations for leadership positions are expected.
Former leader Bathabile Dlamini is seeking a second term and is likely to face opposition from ANC Eastern Cape member Sisisi Tolashe, a deputy minister in the Presidency.
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