06/07/2008 13:41 - (SA)
ANC Women's League picks its new president
By Caiphus Kgosana
Great excitement filled the main hall of the University of Free State's Mangaung campus as Gauteng Education MEC and ANC NEC member Angie Motshekga was announced as president of the ANC Women's League.
Motshekga garnered 1 826 votes while former league secretary Bathabile Dlamini, who challenged her for the position, came second with 1 531 votes.
Delegates broke out into song and carried Motshekga onto the stage as the electoral commission official announced that she had triumphed.
Motshekga's ally and ANC NEC Nosipho Ntwanambi was elected deputy president ahead of Gauteng MEC for Housing Nomvula Mokonyane.
Another ANC NEC member Sisisi Tolashe was unopposed for the position of secretary-general while Mpai Mogorosi from the Free State was also elected unopposed to deputise Tolashe.
Hlengiwe Mkhikze, another Motshekga ally, got the nod for the position of Treasurer-general, beating Limpopo Public Works MEC Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
Indications that Motshekga would triumph became clear on Friday night during the nominations process in plenary. With Dlamini declining to stand for the position of deputy president, Eastern Cape delegate Pemmy Majodina, whose province backs Motshekga, rose up to nominate Ntwanambi for the position of deputy president.
When Ntwanambi was nominated from the floor, however, the response was overwhelming, and at final count she was able to get the backing of 2 010 delegates to challenge Mokonyane, giving an indication of where the mood was swinging.
Motshekga's star in the party has been rising since her election to the NEC at the conference in Polokwane.
She was influential in getting the league to nominate Jacob Zuma for the position of ANC president on the eve of Polokwane when many felt the Women's League could have nominated a female candidate.
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