By: Siyabonga Sithole
With the majority of delegates at the recent ANC Greater Johannesburg 15th Regional Conference at Idle Winds Conference Centre being women, it was expected that at least two women would emerge on top as part of the newly elected top five leadership of the region.
However, even amid the chants of “We want a woman on top” only one woman was elected.
Former Acting Regional Chairperson, Eunice Mgcina lost her bid to become the region's chairperson to outgoing Secretary, Dada Morero with a marginal 10 votes with a 143 to 153 score.
It was hoped that Mgcina would emerge victorious but Morero's fire brigade slate proved too powerful as for most of the weekend, his supporters sang the loudest songs proving that Morero enjoyed popular support for the position.
The Spirit slate however was rewarded with two key positions in the top 5 with the election of the only woman, Loyiso Masuku as deputy regional secretary and Maxwell Nedzamba as the region's treasurer.
A supporter of the spirit slate who did not want to be identified remarked that he was disappointed with “the woman on top” chants which failed to deliver support for the woman to take up leadership position arguing that women do not support each other when the need to push arose.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference on Sunday, Mgcina voiced her own disappointment with the lack of women representation in the top five of the region saying more needs to be done to end patriarchy in the movement.
“One is disappointed that we only have one woman in the top five leadership of this region. Even more disappointing is that she occupies a deputy position.
To be honest I am disappointed that we are still fighting patriarchy in the organisation that we thought its members would have programmes that would look into such things.
Women empowerment is a programme that we are fighting for as the African National Congress with our 50/50 policy. We are still battling and we are still being bullied by our male comrades who work against us using the same women in the ANC. We are quite disappointed in having one female comrade in the top 5,” Mgcina said.
Mgcina who acted briefly as the chairperson of the region following the passing of Mpho Moreane says the issue of women is a fight that she will continue to fight within the organisation adding that women must unite and fight for their rightful place in the structures of the ruling party.
“This is a fight that we will continue to fight. We will not stop. This situation here today will not stop us from achieving what we want to achieve. But I am happy for the leadership that has been elected.
Women must now come together and make sure that we support one another as women in the ANC particularly because we need to start at home before we take this fight to the rest of the world. So we need to start home really,” she said.
Mgcina said she is hopeful of the future of the party and that she and other leaders will ensure that Masuku as the only female representative is given the support she needs to make her job easy.
“ This is a struggle we really have to fight as women. I hope that we will find each other at some point and understand the importance of us coming together and supporting one another as women. I must say, I am happy that we have a woman there and we will definitely support her. We know that male comrades might also try to work against her but we will make sure we support her,” she said.