ANC members promise to play nice
2012-10-08 22:21
Johannesburg - The nomination process ahead of the ANC national elective conference in Mangaung should be "comradely", two provinces agreed on Monday.
The working committees (PWC) of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal said there were no major policy differences.
"All issues related to the conference including the question of leadership must be discussed in a comradely manner without acrimony and tension," they said in a statement after meeting in Durban.
The Gauteng provincial executive council (PEC) voiced its support on Sunday for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to lead the ANC.
The KZN PEC has not yet made its own announcement for Mangaung. However, it is the home province of ANC president Jacob Zuma.
"The joint meeting agreed that a conducive environment must be created within the ANC for our branches and members to exercise their democratic rights to elect leaders of their choice," they said.
These rights must be exercised within the guidelines set out by the ANC's policy document "Through the eye of the needle."
The PECs said there were "no major policy differences" within the ANC and that the organisation had to be focused on maintaining unity.
It said the conference at Mangaung should focus on improving the quality of life for South Africans.
In touch with the people
Meanwhile, the ANC in Limpopo said on Monday that it is in favour of Kgalema Motlanthe to take over as president of the party at the Mangaung conference, according to provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane said on Monday.
The province supported Tokyo Sexwale for deputy president and Fikile Mbalula for secretary general, Lekganyane said in a statement.
This followed a meeting of African National Congress's provincial executive committee in Limpopo on Monday afternoon.
The province recommended that Thandi Modise retain her position as deputy secretary general, and that Mathews Phosa stay on as treasurer general. The position of chairperson should go to Thenjiwe Mtintso.
Lekganyane said the meeting unanimously decided on the top six positions in the ANC and nominated a pool of 85 national executive committee (NEC) members.
The ANC in Mpumalanga, however, is backing President Jacob Zuma to head the party for another term, provincial secretary Lucky Ndinisa said on Monday.
The provincial executive committee (PEC) resolved to nominate leadership "in touch with the people, accessible, and flexible", he said in a statement.
The province has put forward the names of businessman Cyril Ramaphosa for deputy president and Jessie Duarte as deputy secretary general.
It favoured keeping Baleka Mbete as chairperson and Gwede Mantashe as secretary general.
Ndinisa said the province supported KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize as treasurer general.
As part of the PEC's task of providing guidance to the African National Congress branches in the province it had chosen leaders who satisfied the character of the party, understood ANC policy, and could apply it under all conditions, Ndinisa said.
The leadership it had chosen were "beyond reproach in political and social conduct" and "principled, firm, humble, and considerate".
Branches in Mpumalanga would now debate the list and decide who to nominate.
Following this process, the province would hold a nomination conference to decide on a final submission to the ANC's National Electoral Commission, Ndinisa said.
- SAPA
