African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Mmamoloko Kubayi says she hopes that a proposed constitutional amendment to establish a second deputy secretary general for the Party will pass.
Kubayi was speaking at the 55th National Congress currently under way in Nasrec south of Johannesburg.
She has called for an amendment to the ANC’s constitution to ensure that there is greater representation of women in the Party’s top 6 leadership which has traditionally only had one woman represented in the deputy secretary position.
She has lamented that while 60% of Party members are women and that this is not reflected in the Party’s top leadership positions.
Kubayi says, “It is an indictment on all of us in the ANC that women raised their hands they were not voted for its not that there were not there they were there and that is where the reflection should be. What is it that we need to do that is why we need to force it through a constitutional amendment because we have tried it has not happened and I mean there are many reasons. I mean it is a patriarchal society, a patriarchal organisation and the rules are such that they are disadvantaging women and another issue when you campaign resources are needed and you hardly find business people who are willing to support a woman.”
She put her hand up for the deputy president position in the run-up to the National Conference but failed to make the minimum threshold to run. Kubayi says ANC NEC member Lindiwe Sisulu also failed to qualify to run for ANC President.
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A number of women including NEC member Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma have sought to stand in a number of positions but failed to meet the minimum threshold to run.
Kubayi says she will support female candidates.
“All women who are standing who made the ballot I will support. Currently we have comrade Pheobe and Comrade Nomvula-are contesting and I hope that they are not contesting each other because we have to do away with this thing that when women contest they are put together to contest each other instead of making way to support each other so with that we have a constitutional amendment coming in to say we have first Deputy Secretary General and Second DSH. I am hoping that both of them will make it.” she adds.
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