ANC set to mull top post candidates

President Jacob Zuma. File photo: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

President Jacob Zuma. File photo: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

Published May 19, 2014

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Johannesburg - The ANC’s top leadership were due to meet on Monday for the first time since the party’s landslide election victory.

Selection of the party’s eight premiers was certain to be at the top of the agenda.

President Jacob Zuma is also expected to announce his eagerly awaited cabinet “a day or two” after his inauguration on Saturday, as speculation grows on who will be included or sidelined.

The party’s national executive committee and national working committee were expected to discuss the party’s recent election victory and the premier candidates, among other issues.

The position of Gauteng premier was expected to be one of the burning issues that the party will deal with, after the party lost considerable support in the province.

There are also clear divisions after incumbent premier Nomvula Mokonyane was overlooked by the provincial leadership when it selected provincial secretary David Makhura, Education MEC Barbara Creecy and Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe as its three candidates.

ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said only that the party would make a final decision on Monday on what the main agenda items should be.

“Premiers might be on the agenda,” he said.

Some provincial ANC structures also seem to have gone against the national leadership by announcing only one candidate instead of three as required.

Eastern Cape provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said it had no other choice than to choose provincial chairman Phumulo Musaulle as its only candidate.

“We have reiterated the call of the last two ANC provincial conferences in River Park East London and NMMU Port Elizabeth that the premier in the province must be the chairperson of the ANC in the province,” said Mabuyane.

He said the provincial executive committee meeting was attended by a majority of members “who unanimously agreed on that name”.

But the party is reported to have added two more names to the list after Luthuli House referred the list back.

With regard to the cabinet, a lot of focus will be on the economic cluster, in particular the finance minister, with talk that Pravin Gordhan might not return to the key portfolio.

His deputy Nhlanhla Nene and former Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni have been punted as possible replacements.

Political Bureau

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