Winnie tops ANC's NEC list

2007-12-21 07:27

Polokwane - Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has topped the polls in voting for the African National Congress' national executive committee, winning 516 votes more than Jacob Zuma did when he was elected the new leader of the party on Tuesday.

And Zuma's ally, tycoon Tokyo Sexwale, has made number ten on the list.

However a number of Mbeki supporters, including former party chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota, have not featured at all.

Others who did not make the cut for the enlarged 80-member NEC also include Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Cabinet ministers Alec Erwin, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Essop Pahad, Thoko Didiza, Sydney Mufamadi, Ronnie Kasrils and Ngconde Balfour, or director general in the presidency Frank Chikane.

Willie Madisha, who has stepped aside from the top post in Cosatu pending an inquiry into funds, does not feature.

Only one of the country's nine premiers, Kwa-Zulu-Natal's Sbu Ndebele, made it, while head of the presidency in the ANC Smuts Ngonyama is out.

Half of NEC must be women

The poll was the first held under a new ANC rule that at least half of the members of the NEC must be women.

Sacked deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge came in at number 33 on the list, far ahead of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang at 55.

While many of the names announced by an official of the ANC's delegates who had stuck around for the result, Tshabalala-Msimang's was the only one that met with a collective groan.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, who topped the NEC poll at the ANC's 2002 Stellenbosch conference, and who clashed with the Zuma camp in the run-up to Polokwane, is still on the list but has dropped to number 57.

His deputy, Jabu Moleketi, made only number 94, below the cut-off.

Madikizela-Mandela got 2 845 votes, compared to the 2 329 for Zuma in the presidential poll.

The other top nine on the NEC list were Transport Minister Jeff Radebe, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya, Arts Minister Pallo Jordan, Deputy SA Communist Party general secretary Jeremy Cronin, diplomat Jessie Duarte, Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, former ANC deputy secretary general Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele, Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla, and Sexwale.

SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande came in at number 11.

ANC Youth League president Fikile Mbalula reaped his reward for all his hard work on the Zuma campaign trail with the number 15 spot.

Yengeni and wife make list

Former ANC chief whip, convicted fraudster Tony Yengeni, whose parole was relaxed to allow him to leave the Western Cape to attend the conference, was number 21 and his wife Lumka 31.

Former Cape Town mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo was 27, and former spy boss Billy Masethla, who was sacked by Mbeki, 28.

One of Zuma's former wives, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who stood unsuccessfully on the Mbeki list for party chairperson at Polokwane, was 35.

ANC strategist and head of policy in the presidency Joel Netshitenzhe took the 73rd spot, which meant that had the conference not decided to enlarge the NEC from the previous 60, he would have been out.

ANC Western Cape MPL Garth Strachan was the first loser. He took position 81 on the list, followed by Chikane.

Last place went to Makhosi Ntuli.

- SAPA