Motlanthe's Limpopo win 'won't hurt Zuma'
2012-12-06 16:01
Polokwane - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe's nomination
from the ANC in Limpopo as party president will hardly dent President Jacob
Zuma's bid to be re-elected, an expert said on Thursday.
"Nominating Motlanthe will have little impact on the
body politic of the Mangaung conference," political analyst Elvis Masoga
said.
"We have Zuma [nominated in] six provinces and
Motlanthe with three."
Motlanthe won the province with 268 votes, while Zuma
secured seven.
After the announcement, a group of less than 20 people
stormed out of the building to celebrate.
They said they did not want Zuma to win because he had
expelled youth league president Julius Malema.
Limpopo nominated Motlanthe after Zuma supporters walked
out of the conference venue, accusing provincial leaders of using bogus
delegates and excluding 90 of their branches.
The conference was held on Thursday after it missed the
second allocated deadline on Wednesday, as a result of disputes by Zuma
supporters.
Masoga said: "It is extremely premature to celebrate
because the same people who were excluded in the [provincial] conference are
delegates to the [national] conference and will vote for Zuma in
Mangaung."
Masoga said Zuma supporters might have realised it was
not worth fighting for a "slice, while we have loaf of bread at
home".
In their walk-out, delegates accused provincial
leadership of misleading and cheating by allowing branches that did not pass
audit to participate in the nomination process.
They said the credentials to the conference were not
adopted, and as such bogus delegates were allowed in.
Limpopo nominated current ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa for
deputy president and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula to take over from Gwede
Mantashe as secretary-general.
Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale was nominated as
treasurer, North West Premier Thandi Modise as national chairperson and
Thenjiwe Mtintso as deputy secretary.
The provincial nomination conference allows ANC members
to nominate their preferred candidates for the party's leadership, to be elected
at the national conference in Mangaung later this month.
- SAPA
