ANC leadership will be decided by 5‚240 delegates

The choice of who will be in charge of the ANC has been left in the hands of 5‚240 people‚ the party has confirmed.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said the National Executive Committee agreed that the revised number of delegates applied to those who would be allowed to vote for the party’s top brass at the conference next month.

Initially the party said there would be 4‚731 delegates but that figure did not include the current NEC leaders‚ the three leagues and an allocation for provincial leaders.

Mantashe said so far‚ their processes of holding branch general meetings towards the conference was close to 70% complete

The ANC in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape are so far leading the pack - almost concluding their pre-conference processes - with the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal lagging behind.

Mantashe said they were not extending the deadline for BGMs which was originally November 15‚ but added that there may be a grace period until the end of the weekend.

Once BGMs are completed‚ ANC provinces and leagues would finalise their nomination of candidates in an effort to meet the threshold to be on the ballot paper at the party elections.

Mantashe said that they were working haRd to complete all branch meetings and resolve disputes before the conference sits on December 16.

“We have to ensure every branch of the ANC that qualifies to be at the conference will be at the conference‚” he said

Mantashe said he may adopt a special dispensation to allow for branches in KwaZulu-Natal to complete their processes.

He conceded that the ANC Women’s League was the first top structure to formally nominate their preferred candidates.

The ANCWL issued a statement on Monday evening confirming that they have endorsed Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be president with Mpumalanga ANC chairperson David Mabuza to be her deputy.

They have nominated Free State ANC chairperson Ace Magashule to be secretary general of the party‚ Minister Nathi Mthethwa to be national chairperson and Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to be treasurer general of the ANC.

They have also nominated incumbent ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte to remain in her position for another five years.

Mantashe conceded that while there were isolated incidents of violence at branch meetings‚ there were far less incidences of violence compared to the past.