ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s opponents within the governing party have emerged as the biggest losers from the consolidated nominations from branches ahead of the December 16-20 national elective conference.
Former ANC president Jacob Zuma, NEC members Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Lindiwe Sisulu have all failed to make the cut in the nominations to contest for the party’s top 6 positions at next month’s gathering.
LIST: Only two women scoop ANC top 6 nomination — for the same position
The trio have all made their disapproval of Ramaphosa known and had each thrown in their names into the hat to contest at the upcoming conference.
Dlamini-Zuma and Sisulu had both availed themselves for the top post, seeking to take on Ramaphosa.
Zuma had also put his hand up for the national chairperson position and any other position for which he would be nominated for.
They have all failed to garner enough support to make it to the ballot in December, as announced by ANC electoral committee at party headquarters on Tuesday.
Dlamini-Zuma’s campaign failed to gain traction, even in KwaZulu-Natal, a province that rallied behind her in her previous failed bid for ANC president at the 2017 national conference.
The Cogta minister managed to get nominated from just 24 branches in the province, while her campaign collapsed face-first in the rest of the country.
Zuma on the other side, who for years has profiled himself as the ANC Dalai Lama of KZN, scored a nomination from a single branch in his presidential bid out of hundreds of branches in the province.
As for Sisulu, accused of fashioning herself as ANC political royalty owing to her celebrated parents, Walter and Albertina, also fared poorly in her ancestral province of the Eastern Cape, where she got five branch nominations in her presidential campaign.
Not all is lost for them though. Their names can still be raised from conference floor and go on the ballot should they achieve the 25% threshold.
Another Ramaphosa foe who did not make the official nomination, despite a spirited campaign, is former ANCYL deputy president Andile Lungisa, who was eyeing the position of national treasurer.
Those who have received the most nominations are Cyril Ramaphosa for president; Paul Mashatile, Ronald Lamola and Oscar Mabuyane for deputy; Stan Mathabatha, Gwede Mantashe and David Masondo for national chair.
Ex-KZN provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli will take on erstwhile Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle and transport minister Fikile Mbalula for the party’s engine room.
Former Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane and ANC Luthuli House GM Febe Potgieter are in a two-horse race for deputy SG.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe, presidential adviser Bejani Chauke and Ekurhuleni regional chairperson Mzwandile Masina will square up for the ANC purse.
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