Presidential hopeful Dr Zweli Mkhize scored a victory over President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday night after winning the ANC youth league task force endorsement for the party chairman.
In what could possibly signal what is to come in December’s elective conference, Mkhize narrowly received the nod with 19 votes from the temporary youth league leadership, beating Ramaphosa (17) and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (4).
The leagues held their meetings over the weekend to decide who they would back for the ANC’s top six spots when the party heads to its elective conference.
Insiders say the league – which has been seen as dominated by Ramaphosa’s allies – deliberated at length over the two leaders, with Mkhize’s side making a “more compelling case”. This led to the ballot vote which resulted in Mkhize’s victory among the youth.
The league has also chosen to endorse current acting general secretary Paul Mashatile for the vice-president position. It was reportedly unanimously agreed that Mashatile was the best person for the job.
The Ramaphosa faction in the youth league task force – led by Nonceba Mhlauli – suffered a fatal blow, which could also signal the faction’s fate when the league finally heads to its conference. The Ramaphosa camp managed to receive only one endorsement for its candidates.
The flamboyant leader of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula, won 23 votes, winning the nomination for the post of general secretary ahead of the former president of the Eastern Cape, Phumullo Masualle. Mbalula recently received a nod for the job from the Ramaphosa faction, led by Derek Hanekom and Mondli Gungubele.
Masualle was endorsed by the KwaZulu-Natal ANC as part of Mkhize’s list for the post of general secretary.
The results will be a blow to former ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, who did not receive a nomination for general secretary, as well as hopeful general treasurer Andile Lungisa. Both men are taking advantage of the general debate over mixing and their former positions as youth league frontrunners to gain favor in their respective positions.
According to insiders, Limpopo president Stan Mathabatha and David Masondo are tied for national president with 20 votes each. This means a new vote for the position.
The new vote will be overseen by ANC national executive committee member Tandi Mahambehlala and will, in the coming days, be followed by nominations for the 80 additional members of the national executive committee.
Nomvula Mokonyane, who has already been endorsed by KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Gauteng Province for the post of deputy general secretary, beat ANC chief executive Febe Potgieter for the nomination of the task force of the league with 23 votes. Potgieter received 18 votes.
ANC spokesman Pule Mabe won the nomination for Treasurer General with 20 votes against Eastern Cape President Oscar Mabuyane who received 19 votes with a void ballot.
Mabuyane, who is a major player in the Eastern Cape and a staunch supporter of Ramaphosa, has been endorsed for the post of vice president by his province.
