“The ANC Northern Cape believes that opening up his private life will exacerbate an already “toxic” and polarised climate,” provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga said.

Ramaphosa told Parliament on Wednesday last week that he would make a full disclosure within days, after the Sunday Independent reported on leaked private emails which allegedly linked him to eight extramarital affairs. Ramaphosa has admitted to one relationship, that he said ended eight years ago.

The newspaper had planned to release a series of further stories based on the emails, but did not do so on Sunday.

“We believe that the deputy president has already surrendered a lot of his personal life to the public in the course of doing his job. There is a line that should not be crossed,” he said in a statement.

The province is the first ANC structure to endorse Ramaphosa to replace President Jacob Zuma at the party’s December elective conference.

Ramaphosa said the allegations of extramarital affairs were part of a smear campaign to stop him from becoming president, adding that state resources had been used to hack into his emails.

‘No more silence’

He returned to the campaign trail this weekend, telling supporters in Kimberley that they must fight back against corruption. He said state institutions had been captured.

“Sometimes we see people stealing money and we keep quite. Now we are saying, ‘no more silence’. Let’s talk about all these things that are eating our movement… the longer we keep quiet, the more this worm eats the ANC… the more this worm will finish the ANC,” Ramaphosa said.

Speculation that Zuma could reshuffle his Cabinet again has resurfaced, after the ANC confirmed that his main rival in the party’s presidential race, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is heading to Parliament.

On Sunday, ANC national executive committee member Bheki Cele told the shop stewards council in Durban that he had received a message that outlined plans to remove Ramaphosa from his Cabinet position, in order to create chaos which would prevent the December conference from going ahead.

Last Tuesday, party secretary general Gwede Mantashe dismissed claims that the conference could be postponed. Branch audits for three provinces are yet to be completed. The audits determine if branches are in good standing, and the delegates that can represent the branches at the elective conference. DM