Motlanthe’s Limpopo win won’t stop Zuma

Deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe

Deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe

Published Dec 6, 2012

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Polokwane - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe's nomination from the ANC in Limpopo as party president will hardly dent President Jacob Zuma's bid to be re-elected, an expert said on Thursday.

“Nominating Motlanthe will have little impact on the body politic of the Mangaung conference,” political analyst Elvis Masoga said.

“We have Zuma (nominated in) six provinces and Motlanthe with three.”

Motlanthe won the province with 268 votes, while Zuma secured seven.

After the announcement, a group of less than 20 people stormed out of the building to celebrate.

They said they did not want Zuma to win because he had expelled youth league president Julius Malema.

Limpopo nominated Motlanthe after Zuma supporters walked out of the conference venue, accusing provincial leaders of using bogus delegates and excluding 90 of their branches.

The conference was held on Thursday after it missed the second allocated deadline on Wednesday, as a result of disputes by Zuma supporters.

Masoga said: “It is extremely premature to celebrate because the same people who were excluded in the (provincial) conference are delegates to the (national) conference and will vote for Zuma in Mangaung.”

Masoga said Zuma supporters might have realised it was not worth fighting for a “slice, while we have loaf of bread at home”.

In their walk-out, delegates accused provincial leadership of misleading and cheating by allowing branches that did not pass audit to participate in the nomination process.

They said the credentials to the conference were not adopted, and as such bogus delegates were allowed in.

Limpopo nominated current ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa for deputy president and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula to take over from Gwede Mantashe as secretary-general.

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale was nominated as treasurer, North West premier Thandi Modise as national chairwoman and Thenjiwe Mtintso as deputy secretary.

The provincial nomination conference allows ANC members to nominate their preferred candidates for the party's leadership, to be elected at the national conference in Mangaung later this month. - Sapa

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