ANCWL backs Zuma for another term: 'He has never failed us as women'

27 November 2012 - 18:32 By Sapa
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President Jacob Zuma sings before he delivers the Presidential Centennial Lecture on former president Thabo Mbeki at the Sauer Park Stadium in Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape. File photo.
President Jacob Zuma sings before he delivers the Presidential Centennial Lecture on former president Thabo Mbeki at the Sauer Park Stadium in Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape. File photo.
Image: GARY HORLOR

The ANC Women's League has nominated President Jacob Zuma to retain his position as ANC leader at the party's national conference in Mangaung.

"President Jacob Zuma has never failed us as women in terms of the things that we want to achieve," African National Congress Women's League president Angie Motshekga told reporters in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

The league chose Cyril Ramaphosa to take over from deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.

Several ANC branches, as well as the ANC Youth League, had nominated Motlanthe for president. He had not yet stated whether he would accept the nominations.

Motshekga said because the league had nominated Ramaphosa, it did not mean it was trying to malign Motlanthe.

"It is just a choice... it has nothing to do with him [Motlanthe] as a person. So it is not an anti-Motlanthe vote."

The league wanted to retain Baleka Mbete as ANC chairwoman and Gwede Mantashe as secretary-general.

Jessie Duarte was nominated as deputy secretary-general and KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize as treasurer.

Motshekga said the ANCWL supported Zuma, despite criticism by others of his traditional views.

The ANCWL president, who also served as basic education minister, denied rumours that Zuma did not fire her for the late delivery of textbooks in Limpopo because he needed to secure the league's vote in Mangaung.

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