CR slate punts Mabuyane for deputy president singularity, focus

"For singularity and focus, we propose the name of Oscar Mabuyane as ANC deputy president," Mondli Gungubele, chief lobbyist of the Cyril Ramaphosa grouping, told delegates on Sunday. 

Gungubele was speaking at Nasrec ahead of the vote by 4,426 branch delegates who are expected to post their ballot for the party's top 7 leaders. 

Mabuyane's name emerges after there was a strong push by Gungubele and others for water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu to replace David Mabuza as deputy president of the ANC.

However, if it wasn't evident for the Ramaphosa caucus that Mchunu didn't have the backing of supporters when he failed to receive nominations from branches, the picture became crystal clear in the early hours of Sunday morning when his name was not raised from the floor during nominations.

Addressing delegates at Nasrec, Gungubele said they needed to take a decision that would give them a fighting chance ahead of the vote.

"We need to make sure we take one, and we stand a chance of getting what we love out of that basket. I repeat, comrades, not everything that we are saying here, not everyone supported everyone who was supported by yourselves but you understood the big picture.

"As result of that, after engaging, especially in our situation with Mpumalanga engaging Eastern Cape, engaging KwaZulu-Natal, we came to a view we love all those comrades but for singularity and focus, we propose comrade Oscar. That is an outcome of a long process of engagement. We had to agree on a name and that is the name we agreed on. All that we're appealing to you is to support that name," Gungubele said.

Still contesting the position of deputy president is ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, who received the most nominations from branches, as well justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola, who is aligned to Ramaphosa. 

Outgoing chair Mantashe is nominated on Ramaphosa’s slate to be re-elected into the position which is contested by Limpopo ANC chairperson Stan Mathabatha and deputy finance minister David Masondo.

For the ANC secretary-general (SG) position are former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, transport minister Fikile Mbalula and deputy public enterprises minister Phumulo Masualle.

The position of SG has been vacant since 2021 following the suspension of Ace Magashule. 

ANC head of organising Nomvula Mokonyane and Tina Joemat-Peterson will battle it out for the position of first deputy secretary-general. 

For second deputy secretary-general, ANC Women’s League co-ordinator Maropene Ramokgopa and Ronalda Nalumango from the Western Cape were nominated from the floor. 

For the position of treasurer-general, party spokesperson Pule Mabe, Ramaphosa adviser Bejani Chauke, ANC Ekurhuleni chair Mzwandile Masina and Gwen Ramokgopa are all nominated and will be on the ballot.