Africa-Press – South-Africa. Zweli Mkhize’s push to be elected ANC president was given a boost on Sunday when ANC Limpopo chairperson Stan Mathabatha openly endorsed him during a final head count of delegates.
This as Mkhize’s camp embraced Mathabatha as its candidate for the ANC national chairperson position while President Cyril Ramaphosa’s allies insisted they would put their weight behind Gwede Mantashe.
In what is being described as the “politics of reciprocity”, the ANC Gauteng delegation saw a large part of delegates join the Mkhize ranks on the back of his allies supporting Paul Mashatile for deputy president of the party
ANC Gauteng heavyweight Lebogang Maile said a large contingent of Gauteng delegates abandoned a push for Ramaphosa to get second term, because his allies opted not to support their preferred candidate for his second in-command, Mashatile.
Delegates from across the country were whipped into line as voting began on Sunday as leaders from various provinces addressed delegates outside the Nasrec conference venue.
At the same time, ANC leaders who failed to make the ballot for the ANC presidency, Lindiwe Sisulu and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, threw their weight behind Mkhize.
Mkhize lobbyists said they believed the growth in support for the former health minister from Limpopo and Gauteng was detrimental for Ramaphosa.
Mathabatha went against a directive by his provincial executive committee (PEC) to support Ramaphosa.
The ANC Limpopo chairperson attended a head-counting event held by the Mkhize camp on Sunday afternoon as delegates were expected to start voting later in the day.
Addressing the gathering, also attended by anti-Ramaphosa party members, including Bathabile Dlamini and Phumulo Masualle, Mathabatha urged the Mkhize camp to fight on.
“Comrades, we are going to fight this battle; we will fight it because it’s a good war. It is a good war because we are fighting for the soul of the ANC,” said Mathabatha to loud cheers from those in attendance.
Mathabatha’s public endorsement of Mkhize came as the ANC in Limpopo on Sunday issued a statement distancing itself from leaders making utterances in support of Mkhize despite the province’s general council having pronounced itself as backing Ramaphosa.
In a last-ditch attempt to crack the whip by the province, it sent out a statement on Sunday saying: “The ANC in Limpopo PEC has noted some statements making the rounds on various media platforms wherein an unfortunate impression was created that we have deserted the outcomes of a branch general meeting.”
This after ANC Limpopo deputy chairperson Florence Radzilani said the province had abandoned Ramaphosa.
She added the reason was that Ramaphosa’s people had rejected them and were not accommodative of those not part of their faction.
Following these utterances by Radzilani on Saturday, the Limpopo PEC distanced itself from her comments.
“At no stage did the ANC Limpopo PEC meet and decide to abandon Ramaphosa,” read a statement.
The province reiterated it “stands by its decision and supports the outcomes of the Limpopo branch general meetings, which affirmed Cyril Ramaphosa for president, Paul Mashatile for deputy president, Mdumiseni Ntuli for secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane for deputy secretary, Bejani Chauke for treasurer and Mathabatha for chairperson.
Mathabatha’s outright support for Mkhize comes after the Ramaphosa camp instructed its supporters on Sunday to vote for Gwede Mantashe as national chairperson.
A portion of the ANC in Gauteng has thrown their weight behind presidential hopeful Zweli Mkhize.
“There are provinces that supported our candidates and we support their candidates. We took a decision as provincial executive committee to support president Ramaphosa, but there is a condition to that.
“There is a condition that they support our candidate comrade Paul Mashatile and Nomvula Mokonyane. Unfortunately, the candidates that support President Ramaphosa don’t support our candidates,” Maile told News24.
Mashatile, the ANC’s outgoing treasurer-general, is up against Oscar Mabuyane and Ronald Lamola.
According to Maile, the ANC should remain focused on the issues affecting the country once the conference ended.
“Post this conference, we still have an organisation and province to run. Most importantly, we have to solve the problems of our people. There is poverty, unemployment, load shedding.
“If we are not able to be matured and managed leadership preferences properly, we will remain in the bad state that we are in. I don’t think we want that.”
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