Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

Maverick News

This article is more than 3 years old

ROAD TO ELECTIVE CONFERENCE

Ramaphosa re-election almost certain as ANC top brass defer adoption of Integrity Committee report on Phala Phala

The ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) did not manage to even discuss the Phala Phala report but instead made a decision to include it in the party’s organisational report which will be adopted during the national conference. 
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
9 Dec
ANC-NEC-Monday President Cyril Ramaphosa leaves the ANC’s National Working Committee meeting at Nasrec, Johannesburg, 5 December 2022. (Photo: Supplied)

The ANC’s conference will be held next week between the 16th and 20th of December where new leadership will be voted in.

Party spokesperson Pule Mabe explained why the matter was not further discussed.

“One must say it was quite robust, dynamic as usual and we engaged on several issues as usual. We know one issue of interest is the issue of the Integrity Commission but this NEC resolved that the report of the IC would be included in the organisational report. In this instance we are seven days away from the conference. It is only fair and opportune that the IC report forms part of all reports which will be put before the conference,” he said.

This allows ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to go ahead and contest for a second term while further discussions about the matter will only be discussed by the delegates who will be attending the conference.

The meeting which was held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Soweto started with party treasurer general Paul Mashatile presenting the Special National Working Committee (NWC) report. The NWC held its meeting on Monday where they made the decision to back Ramaphosa. 

The NWC meeting agreed that ANC MPs must be instructed to vote against the Section 89 report on Phala Phala when the matter is debated and voted on during a Parliamentary sitting this coming week.

Mashatile also presented a report from the secretary general’s office on preparations for the conference. Party deputy president David Mabuza presented the draft organisational report. 

ANC race

The ANC branches have nominated Ramaphosa by an overwhelming majority for a second term with 2,037 nominations, while former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize only managed to get 916 votes. 

Mashatile for now leads the deputy president race with Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola coming in with the second largest number of nominations. ANC Eastern Cape chair Oscar Mabuyane came in third place. 

The chair position sees ANC Limpopo leader Stan Mathabatha with the most support while current chair Gwede Mantashe is second, followed by Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo. 

Read more Zweli Mkhize clinches enough nominations to contest Cyril Ramaphosa for top ANC position

Former ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, National Executive Committee (NEC) member Phumulo Masualle and ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula are all up for the secretary general position. 

The deputy secretary general race will be a two-horse race for now between NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane and party General Manager Febe Potgieter. 

Ramaphosa’s special advisor Bejani Chauke leads the nomination table for the treasurer general position, followed by Pule Mabe and Mzwandile Masina. DM 

 

Comments

Loading your account…
Anesh Govender 10 December 2022 11:57 AM

While I don’t agree that the Phala Phala matter must be swept under the carpet it is becoming clear that Ramaphosa is the best of the lot….hope there is no shock at the conference and the RET brigade take a few more body blows…

roelf.pretorius 11 December 2022 12:35 AM

Of course the very instruction to MP's to vote according to the party line is unconstitutional; the ConCourt has already made quite clear that public representatives should vote according to how they believe the voters would want them to. That said, the situation in SA is so abnormal that the stability given by the ANC instruction must be welcomed for now. But something must be done to rectify this and to give MP's constituencies so they can communicate with it and validly represent it.

Jane Crankshaw 11 December 2022 10:42 AM

The reaction re the Phala Phala incident is hilarious! Seems that CR’s misdemeanours have finally made the rest of the ANC accept him as one of their own! Perhaps there really is honour amongst thieves!

Roy Haines 12 December 2022 07:29 AM

Superbly said!

Cunningham 11 December 2022 06:30 PM

I think that the report is sent to Conference when the ANC NEC had five months to deal with the issue is to burden Conference with divisive issues. A conference has the following tasks, adopt credentials to confirm its quorum and fitness to go on with the business; receive a political report on the environment the organisation operates and challenges posed by such and how the organisation dealt with these challenges; an organisational report reflecting the implementation of resolutions and policies since the last conference and decisions of the NEC in dealing with conference resolutions; resolutions and amendment of the constitution; policy reviews recommended by structures, financial statements and health of the organisation and election of leaders that would be able to programmatise the resolutions and implement them. The credentials ought to be a report of the NEC to Conference that must have adopted them after dealing with queries from branches and Provinces. Any other issue added to Conference because of incompetence of the leadership to handle issues is to burden conference with divisive issues that ought to be handled by a smaller body. The integrity commission has no integrity as many people complain about its own misconduct and nobody takes that structure seriously but is viewed as a factional battering ram. The Phala Phala issue has two hurdles to jump, firstly parliament that if adopted Cyril will be lynched at conference and the court challenge that is weak.