Emerging from a divisive plenary session, where ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa was received with a hostile welcome by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) delegates who heckled and booed him as he opened the congress, there was yesterday still no sign that the party will emerge from its elective conference as a united unit.
Delegates were split about their leadership preferences, and appeared not ready for any compromises as they are headed to the polling booths to vote for candidates who will serve the party for the next five years.
Voting appeared destined to produce political shocks as some branch delegates made it known to Sunday World – in a random vox pop – that they will vote against the mandate of their respective provincial leaderships.
For example, Siyabonga Masiza from Gauteng said that he (and others from his branch) were clear on who they were going to vote for despite Gauteng having already announced that the province would back Ramaphosa for a second term.
Masiza was, however, determined to see Ramaphosa not getting a second term, saying they would back Zweli Mkhize for party president and Paul Mashatile for deputy president.
“As Gauteng, we do not believe in Ramaphosa’s leadership. He has failed us, there is consistent loadshedding. In actual fact, it is a deliberate sabotage to hand Eskom to private business. We want nothing with a leadership that is going to put the interests of the poor at the sand.”
When Zuma arrived on Thursday, several Gauteng delegates were seen chanting pro-Ramaphosa slogans ahead of the official opening of the conference on Friday.
However, delegates from Mkhize’s stronghold of KZN arrived chanting and singing songs of praise in support of their candidate as they called for the fall of “the buffalo” – a nickname given to Ramaphosa.
Western Cape delegates appeared united in their support for the embattled president chanting slogans in support of Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term as party president. Those who spoke to this newspaper were unanimous in their view that Western Cape fully supported Ramaphosa. They sang (Ramaphosa wethu, which means “our Ramaphosa”) as they headed to the conference hall on Saturday.
Asked for their views on the president’s Phala Phala farm scandal, several Western Cape delegates said “the money which was stolen was his own money. Ramaphosa did not plunder state funds”.
“We want a leadership that has integrity; a leadership that can renew the ANC; a leadership that will also push for stability in the ANC. I think one of the things that we want to see from this conference is to see a leadership that will make sure that the renewal of the ANC happens; that step-aside policies are implemented.
“We want to see leaders who will make sure that they root out corruption within the government but also root out rampant gender-based violence.
“Ramaphosa is doing all that and that is why we support him,” said provincial executive committee member and spokesperson of the women’s league, Yokazi Malafu.
However, a select group of delegates from the Norman Mashaba region in Limpopo differed with their Western Cape counterparts. “We are here to support Zweli Mkhize as president and Stan Mathabatha as chairperson of the ANC,” they said. This, despite Limpopo having been one of the first provinces to announce that they would support Ramaphosa for
president.
Delegates from Northern Cape said that they would wait on their “leadership” to give a directive. “We are waiting for the leadership of the Northern Cape to tell us what the finalities in terms of the lineup are.
“As a disciplined member of the ANC, I will take the cue from them before voting. But we want the leadership that must be bold enough to deal with the issues of loadshedding, unemployment, the issues of young people, poverty, and inequality,” said Moeti Namelang.
Most delegates we tried to speak to from the North West province were mum on their choice of leadership.
However, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality branch secretary Ezekiel Marumo said although there might be differences in terms of views, his branch supported Ramaphosa.
Asked if the branch was unified in this view, Marumo said: “There is no division in the ANC. We hear those things coming from outside, obviously there are those who are not happy with his leadership style.”
Given the events unfolding outside the conference venue, it appears the party’s presidential count is headed for a formidable battle that will leave tears flowing on the grounds of the Nasrec Expo Centre.
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