Cosas to support Mashatile

2010-04-30 18:06

Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Students announced on Friday that it intends supporting Paul Mashatile for a second term as ANC Gauteng chairperson.

Cosas believes it has enough members to outvote the ANC Youth League, which has voiced its backing of Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane for the position. At the moment she is Mashatile's deputy.

"We have resolved that nobody else but Paul Mashatile can take up the agenda of the students' body," Cosas said in a statement.

"We therefore throw our unshaken support behind comrade Paul Mashatile to return as the provincial chairperson of the African National Congress in the golden province."

Cosas said its members formed 70% of the ANCYL's membership in the province.

'One centre of power'

It was confident their votes would dictate the outcome of the ANC Gauteng's elective conference being held from May 6 to May 9 in Pretoria.

Cosas said that at the ANC's conference in Polokwane, the party resolved that there was only one centre of power, "that is the ANC".

This was at the height of divisions in the party between supporters of former president Thabo Mbeki and President Jacob Zuma. Mbeki was voted out as ANC president in favour of Zuma.

In the ANC, the party's president is also traditionally the president of the country.

"If there is anybody that believes that there must be one centre of (power), then the premier must resign with immediate effect, because comrade Paul is still the provincial chairperson of the province."

On Thursday, the ANC Youth League in Gauteng said it supported Mokonyane.

"The two centres of power is not working. It never worked anywhere. There must be one centre of power to be able to manage effectively all contradictions that constitute our own processes going forward."

Mokonyane was the "one person relevant and the strongest cadre". "We are confident of her capacity to lead," said the ANCYL's Gauteng leader Thabo Kupa.

- SAPA