Kimberley - The SACP, which has announced it will contest future elections, received a tongue-lashing from ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini during a visit by Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Kimberley on Saturday.
While the ANC's Frances Baard region insisted Dlamini-Zuma’s visit was not a political campaign, her supporters used every opportunity to sing her praises as the best person to lead the country.
Dlamini-Zuma delivered a Freedom Charter lecture flanked by Dlamini, ANCWL deputy president Sisisi Ntombela and former minister of energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson.
A large contingent of protectors and Umkhonto weSizwe military veterans formed a human shield around Dlamini-Zuma at the event and also accompanied her to a blanket hand-over at the Galeshewe Association for the Care of the Aged and Disabled home on Friday.
Dlamini lambasted the SACP for attacking Dlamini-Zuma's leadership ability. She condemned “highly sophisticated comrades” in the SACP for not recognising her to be a champion of gender equality and women’s emancipation.
“They say Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is no longer a leader and that if she is appointed it would amount to re-appointing Jacob Zuma. They are showing high levels of patriarchy and strong reactionary tendencies.
“Dlamini-Zuma has a golden hand, she brings about change whenever she goes. If she is voted in it will be the first time in the 105-year history of the ANC that it is led by a woman president.”
Dlamini indicated that 60% of ANC members were women.
“The time has come for the ANC to be led by a woman who was part of the struggle."
Dlamini Zuma highlighted the need to hold onto the ANC's alliance partners.
“The leader of the alliance must make sure that every member of the alliance is strong, whether it is the SACP or Cosatu.
"We cannot walk away from the alliance but must unite in order to keep the ANC alive for future generations."
Dlamini Zuma also called for the acceleration of land distribution.
“The land must be returned to us. This will be done within the ambit of the law but the law does not come from heaven, it comes from us.”
She called for free schooling and for a skills revolution to open the floodgates of learning.
Meanwhile, the top six ANC officials led by President Jacob Zuma were locked in meetings behind closed doors with the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) yesterday at Frances Baard district municipal offices to resolve complaints that the ANC Northern Cape elective conference was flawed.
Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas declined her nomination to stand as ANC provincial chairperson during the conference that saw her opponent Zamani Saul taking over the reins of the party.
The ANC PEC has already endorsed Ramaphosa as their presidential candidate.