President Cyril Ramaphosa has received another endorsement to continue as the African National Congress (ANC) leader. This time from one of the party’s top six, Treasurer General Paul Mashatile.
Mashatile says ANC members feel strongly that Ramaphosa should avail himself for another term to continue the fight against corruption.
The ANC goes into an elective conference in December.
Mashatile was speaking in Cape Town at the post-SONA breakfast organised by the Progressive Business Forum.
Mashatile says Ramaphosa has been on an anti-corruption crusade since he ascended to power.
VIDEO: ANC Leadership – Paul Mashatile endorses party President Cyril Ramaphosa for 2nd term
Last month, four African National Congress (ANC) regions in Limpopo threw their weight behind Provincial Chairperson, Stanley Mathabatha’s pronouncement on the ANC national leadership on Saturday.
During the party’s 110th anniversary celebration at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Mathabatha said Limpopo would endorse party president Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as ANC president.
In his welcoming address on Saturday at the January 8th event – provincial chairperson – Stanley Mathabatha said the party will endorse the incumbent for a second term. This triggered a debate within party structures.
“What we are simply saying comrades is that when the curtain opens that we should start campaigning for the leadership for the president of the African National Congress. There is absolutely no doubt that we as Limpopo are going to campaign for Cyril Ramaphosa.”
‘Premature endorsements’
Following Limpopo’s announcement of their choice, Political Analyst Enoch Maponya said the premature endorsements of the candidates could have political repercussions.
“It is better for members of the ANC to wait until the party allows them to start campaigning for their candidates. This pre-mature announcement is a ploy to apply for jobs under Cyril Ramaphosa. If it happens that the candidate concern does not win, the winning candidate will find it difficult to accommodate them in the new structure, like cabinet, and so on. We saw this in 2017, after structures like the ANC Youth League, the Women’s League, MKVA loudly started canvassing for Nkosazana Zuma and when she didn’t win, some of them, if not most, have not been accommodated in the new structure under Cyril Ramaphosa.”
The Frans Mohlala House is the ANC provincial headquarters in Limpopo. This is where the final decisions of the ANC in the province are made.
The big decision that has been taken is that all the ANC branches in Limpopo will have to support President Cyril Ramaphosa for the second term in the next ANC elective conference.
The regions say they’ll also support Stanley Mathabatha – who is the chairperson of the ANC in the province to form part of the ANC’s top six.
