Gauteng ANC says support for Ramaphosa not a given

ANC Gauteng Chairperson Paul Mashatile has said the provincial structure’s backing of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is not a done deal.

In an effort to promote unity‚ Mashatile said the provincial leaders intended meeting with leaders from other provinces to decide on a single list of leaders for the ANC’s top positions.

Mashatile‚ who was speaking on the sidelines of the Human Settlements Development Summit in Boksburg‚ east of Johannesburg‚ on Thursday‚ said the provincial leaders would be invited to the provincial general council later this year for unifying talks.

"Pronouncing on preferences doesn’t mean you can’t engage and those that have pronounced have already said 'let's talk'. Our decisions are not a casting stone‚ we are ready to be persuaded and that is the attitude of all of us. Yes you have a preference but if others can persuade to see things differently‚ you must be ready for that‚" said Mashatile.

His remarks come just months after he said Ramaphosa must lead the movement.

Addressing branch delegates on June 17 at the regional general council in Mogale City‚ Mashatile said the ANC needed a leadership collective of men and women‚ both young and old‚ "so don’t tell us that it’s time for a woman president‚ no. If it's a capable woman to lead the ANC that's fine but don't tell us it's time for a woman and the men must shift.”

On Saturday‚ Mpumalanga ANC chairperson David "DD" Mabuza‚ who has backing from his provincial ANC structures‚ called on other provincial leaders who attended the Mpumalanga provincial general council (PGC) meeting ‚ to reach an agreement and ignore lists known as slates‚ composed by backers of Ramaphosa‚ Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma‚ Lindiwe Sisulu‚ Baleka Mbete and Jeff Radebe‚ who are all gunning for the top ANC post.

The leaders from other provinces who attended the PGC meeting were North West chairperson Supra Mahumapelo‚ Free State chairperson Ace Magashule and KwaZulu-Natal deputy chairperson Willies Mchunu.

"The issue of unity is a must for us. As you know in our pronouncements when we were in Mpumalanga‚ we were saying in fact it is the only way because the other ways are taking us back to Polokwane and Mangaung (elective conferences in 2007 and 2012). We had separate lists so we are saying can't we have one list. Let's persuade one another and obviously by the time we get to conference and there's one position and it’s difficult to have a consensus‚ you can have a contest‚" added Mashatile.

Asked if the Gauteng ANC would not compromise on Ramaphosa‚ Mashatile said: "At the moment I'm not ruling anybody out. If somebody persuades me enough I'll say fine. But what we have agreed as chairs is that we will engage all the candidates and maybe we will understand them better‚" he said.