ANC leaders must be assessed: Mashatile

ANC leaders must be assessed after a couple of years, said its Gauteng chairman and Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile, according to a report.

"No ANC leader is going to lead the organisation for life. It's five years only," The Star newspaper quoted Mashatile saying during a gala dinner hosted by Liliesleaf Farm African National Congress branch on Saturday.

Without mentioning President Jacob Zuma by name, Mashatile said there must an assessment after a couple of years, "it was not a given that you will be re-elected".

"Our interest is not an individual. People say Paul is in favour of Tokyo for president, others say I'm in favour of Kgalema for president. We are ANC people," he said to a rapturous applause.

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, who also attended the dinner, agreed with Mashatile, he said: "Indeed, we were elected for five years."

The ANC will officially open the succession debate in October, ahead of its elective conference to be held in December in Mangaung.