New ANC top six 'unity at its best'

ANC Eastern Cape Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane has lauded the outcome of the ANC’s national conference‚ saying it will see the end of factionalism.

Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as ANC president‚ beating Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma by 179 votes on Monday night.

The rest of the party's top six leadership is made up of members from both camps.

“This is unity at its best. We are collapsing the slates‚” he told TimesLive.

Mabuyane said that the leadership brought together both factions in the ANC.

“This will collapse factionalism in how we elect leaders. We think we got a collective leadership that will take us to 2019 (general elections)‚” he said.

Mabuyane said that despite the top six being split equally between both sides‚ the group would work effectively together.

“There won’t be a disgruntled group as we leave this conference‚” he said.

Mabuyane said fact that losing candidates to accepted the outcome and embraced the new leadership showed “political maturity”.

Embattled ANC KwaZulu Natal Chairperson Sihle Zikalala took the mic in the plenary session to congratulate the new ANC leadership.

Meanwhile‚ leader of the ANC’s veterans league Snuki Zikalala expressed his joy shortly after the leadership was announced.

“Today the ANC won‚” he said to other veterans.