Voting for ANC’s top seven is schedule to commence after a dramatic announcement of the nominees in the early hours of Sunday morning. Elexions Agency, a company contracted by the ANC to administer its elections during conferences, confirmed the contest for the president position between Cyril Ramaphosa and Zweli Mkhize.
President Cyril Ramaphosa enters the final lap in his journey towards a second term as ANC head like a wounded buffalo. That is not a bad thing in politics. An injured buffalo would be more dangerous and less complacent than one without a bruising battle. He is being egged on by, among others, Gwede Mantashe, a grubby fighter who is battling for his survival in the ANC top six.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape is proposing an amendment to the party’s constitution to increase the number of national office bearers from six to seven. If adopted by delegates at the national conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, this weekend, the party may have seven leaders in its top leadership structure as opposed to six at present after the 2027 national elective conference.
Load-shedding is making things difficult for the ANC in the Eastern Cape as the party struggles to convene branch general meetings (BGMs). The party is holding BGMs to nominate leaders in the lead-up to its national elective conference, but its efforts are being hampered by power outages, among other things.