Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League in Gauteng on Monday threw its weight behind Paul Mashatile to be elected the ANC's leader in Gauteng at the ruling party's elective conference.
“Gauteng is united under his leadership, and ideologically it is always miles ahead of other provinces,” provincial executive committee chairman Matome Chiloane said.
“We are sticking with him. We don't want anybody else but Paul.”
The youth league backed the nomination of premier David Makhura for African National Congress deputy chairman, health MEC Hope Papo for provincial secretary, former deputy health minister Gwen Ramokgopa as his deputy, and Gauteng legislature speaker Ntombi Mekgwe for treasurer.
The ANC in Gauteng postponed its elective conference which was meant to be held this month. The conference was now expected to be held in Pretoria from October 3 to 5.
The party said it had reached the 70 percent quorum of branches, allowing it to proceed with its provincial conference.
Chiloane said the resolution was not attached to any name, but it was a principled stance in line with the ANC's Polokwane resolutions.
“We maintain that while the ANC remains the only centre of power, there is better synergy in the province when the chair of the ANC is the same individual who is premier,” he said.
Mashatile looks set to retain his position during the conference as the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans' Association (MKMVA) in Gauteng had declared its support for him. The association's list of nominees was the same as the youth league's.
According to reports, some branches in the province were unhappy with the two centres of power scenario. The leader of the party in the province had usually been the premier.
This was not the case in the past five years when Nomvula Mokonyane was Gauteng premier and Mashatile was provincial ANC chairman.
The conference would also elect the party's new provincial executive committee.
Sapa