Limpopo ANC warned about nominations
2012-11-28 22:32
Polokwane - The Limpopo ANC will not be allowed to nominate people to lead the party if its provincial conference is not held on Friday, secretary general Gwede Mantashe has said.
"The nomination conference must happen on Friday. If they do not [meet the Friday deadline] they will forfeit their right to nominate," Mantashe said on Wednesday.
The African National Congress in Limpopo postponed its nomination conference on Tuesday night to allow branches to conclude their branch general meetings (BGMs).
Provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane said on Monday that almost 70 branches in the province's five regions had not held BGMs, which would exclude them from the nomination conference.
The branches had until Friday to hold BGMs.
This was also the national executive committee's (NEC) deadline for all provinces to have held their nomination conferences - a cut-off which had already been extended by four days.
It was still not clear late on Wednesday afternoon when the Limpopo ANC would hold its conference. Its regions had differed in their nomination of who should lead the party for the next five years.
Mopani region secretary Bricks Manzini said Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe had received most of the support in his region.
However, 12 branches still had to hold BGMs, at which they would nominate their preferred candidates.
"We are waiting for the outcome of the verification today [Wednesday] or tomorrow [Thursday]," Manzini said.
The Vhembe region had two outstanding BGMs. Regional secretary Khathu Netshifhefhe said the two would hold their meetings on Friday.
According to nominations thus far, President Jacob Zuma was leading in the region.
Sekhukhune regional secretary Pat Mathale said he could not say which leader branches in his region preferred.
"Some are nominating Motlanthe, others Zuma. We will only know at the provincial nomination conference."
Branch nominations were put in a sealed envelope and handed to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), to be opened at the provincial conference.
Mathale said 10 branches in the region still had to hold their BGMs and would do so in the next two days. He said the problem facing branch meetings were quorums.
A certain number of people had to be present at a meeting for it to proceed.
Waterberg secretary Andries Lekalakala said on Tuesday that four of its 75 branches still needed to hold their BGMs.
The region was reportedly a Zuma stronghold. It was not clear who the Peter Mokaba region supported.
On Tuesday, Lekganyane said it had the most outstanding branches, with 22 of the 98 still needing to hold meetings.
Change in leadership
Limpopo was one of the power bases of a faction calling for a change in ANC leadership.
The provincial executive committee wanted Motlanthe to take over from Zuma.
The pro-Zuma faction in Limpopo reportedly suffered a setback when deputy ANC chairperson Dickson Masemola was excluded from the 20-member provincial executive committee (PEC) delegation to Mangaung.
The decision was made at a PEC meeting on Monday.
Provincial spokesperson Makonde Mathivha confirmed Masemola's exclusion to The Star.
"It was a very democratic process and everyone had the right to choose. The results were such that the deputy chairperson of the province was not among the 20 who will be representing the PEC at the conference," Mathivha said.
The ANC holds its national elective conference in Mangaung next month.
Although Motlanthe had been endorsed by some in the party, it was still not clear whether he would stand against Zuma.
Only one of the party's nine provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, had completed its nomination conference. The province, the ANC's biggest, had come out in support of Zuma for a second term. Mpumalanga and the Free State were also expected to support Zuma.
Four names had emerged as the favourites for deputy president.
The provinces calling for a second term for Zuma had endorsed Motlanthe or NEC member Cyril Ramaphosa as deputy president.
Those who wanted Zuma replaced were backing Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale or ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa.
Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape and North West were expected to hold their nomination conferences in the next two days.
- SAPA
