President Jacob Zuma, oozing with renewed vigour and confidence following a resounding endorsement for his second term, warned ANC members to remember the party culture of embracing conference decisions no matter what their differences. In an impromptu address in the packed conference hall at the University of the Free State, President Zuma reminded delegates that the ANC is an organisation that is “proud, very democratic and transparent”. He said: “What we do is in the interest of our country and its people. If the people of South Africa must learn from this oldest, biggest organisation, we need to demonstrate that in practice.” The outcome of the elections, President Zuma added, is premised on clear principle, which is that all party members and their structure embrace the outcome of the elections as their choice of branches. “What is more important than all of us is the ANC. It is clear that once the ANC has spoken we need to look at how we treat each other,” the President said in a veiled reference to the party discipline. He urged delegates, particularly those whose candidates were victorious, not to make comrades whose wishes had not come true to feel left out of the conference process. According to President Zuma, the conference will have to address the unity of the ANC. “From now on we must realise the national conference has spoken and all of us are part of it (decisions).” He described the ANC as the best organisation and urged members to lead exemplary lives which bore witness to the assertion. “We are the best, we must show it in practice,” he concluded. Zuma won the President position with 2983 votes. Zuma ran against his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe who received 991 votes. 3977 ballots were cast by delegates. There were two spoilt ballot papers and one abstention. The ANC’s new Deputy President is Cyril Ramaphosa. He won with 3018 votes. The other two contenders were TokyoSexwale (463 votes and Mathews Phosa (470 votes). There were 13 spoilt ballots and 13 abstentions. The National Chairperson is Baleka Mbete (3010 votes). She beat Thandi Modise who got 939 votes. Five ballots were spoilt with 23 abstentions. Gwede Mantashe has been re-electedSecretary General. He went up againstFikile Mbalula for the position. Mantashe received 3058 votes and Mbalula 901 votes. There were six spoilt ballots and 12 abstentions. Jessie Duarte got the Deputy Secretary post which was not contested. The Treasurer-General isZweli Mkhize who won with 2988 votes.He beat Paul Mashatile (961 votes). There were six spoilt ballots and 22 abstentions.
– By Antoinette Lazarus
