Race is on to pick Western Cape ANC premier candidate

It’s a wide-open race for the ANC Western Cape premier candidate spot, but three names will be thrown into the hat - one of which is Ebrahim Rasool. Picture: Siphephile Sibanyoni/ African News Agency.

It’s a wide-open race for the ANC Western Cape premier candidate spot, but three names will be thrown into the hat - one of which is Ebrahim Rasool. Picture: Siphephile Sibanyoni/ African News Agency.

Published Jan 4, 2019

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Cape Town - It’s a wide-open race for the ANC Western Cape premier candidate spot, but three names will be thrown into the hat, which will then be hand-picked by the party’s top brass.

Rumours are that ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore, Deputy Police Minister Bongani Mkongi and Ebrahim Rasool are the front runners, but the provincial executive committee is yet to make a decision.

ANC acting provincial leader Khaya Magaxa said although the list process is important, the party’s national executive committee will have the final say.

“As you know, there are many challenges in the Western Cape ANC and we are one of the provinces with major dynamics. Consideration will be given to the politics of the province, the demographics of the province and the profile of all candidates. You can’t put someone in the position who has no pedigree or record of work in the province. The person needs to be known to all in the Western Cape,” Magaxa said.

Last week, the ANC completed its list conference to elect new members of the National Assembly and the provincial legislature.

The first conference was nullified by the party’s top leadership after several allegations of corruption and membership fraud.

The re-run of the conference, however, left more problems. According to sources, several members who placed high up on the lists were removed and replaced by other factional candidates.

Magaxa said the final decision will be taken by the ANC NEC.

No1 on the list for ANC members of the provincial legislature is MPL Pat Lekker, who serves on the legislature’s community safety portfolio committee and is well-known in the ANC’s Dullah Omar Region.

Second on the list is Dugmore, who has previously been touted as the next ANC provincial leader.

Provincial Youth League member Mesuli Kama is third on the list, former Bitou (Plettenberg Bay) mayor Lulama Mvimbi is fourth, while ANC Boland chairperson Pat Marran is in fifth place.

ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said the party would be in a position to announce its premier candidate on Sunday.

@JasonFelix

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Cape Argus

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