Wally Mbhele
The African National Congress Women’s League is headed for a major showdown this weekend, that could split the organisation, over the nomination of their president, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, for the ANC deputy presidency.
It appears that a statement issued to the media claiming that the ANC national working committee’s, and the KwaZulu-Natal region of the league’s, withdrawal of its nomination of Madikizela-Mandela this week did not enjoy the support of all the league’s structures.
Senior officials in the league told the Mail & Guardian there would be a blistering confrontation at its national executive committee meeting in Johannesburg this weekend, which could see the organisation splitting into two camps.
Madikizela-Mandela is understood to have been shocked to hear of the decision that her nomination was no longer supported by the organisation she heads. She is expected to open the league’s meeting with a state- of-the-nation address, which may issue a challenge to her detractors. But, sources in the league say her snubbing had never been discussed at any of their meetings and no special meeting had been called to discuss removing her name from the ANC’s nomination list.
The pressure on Madikizela-Mandela was compounded by an ANC national working committee announcement this week that she will be summoned to appear before the party’s senior leaders to explain her public criticism of the ANC’s performance in government.
The ANC’s acting general secretary Cheryl Carolus called Madikizela-Mandela a “coward”, and expressed concern at a leading member of the party publicly challenging “agreed policy positions of the movement without raising them within the ANC structures”.
On Wednesday, following the ANC’s attack on Madikizela-Mandela, several ANC national executive committee members, including Steve Tshwete, Ronnie Kasrils, Joe Nhlanhla and Mathews Phosa among others, descended on the truth commission’s hearing in Mayfair.
The party’s chief representative, Ronnie Mamoepa, had been dispatched to the hearings to answer media questions if the ANC’s interests were threatened by Madikizela-Mandela’s testimony.
However, many senior members of the league said this week that they unequivocally supported their leader and predicted she would emerge as their only candidate for ANC deputy president at the end of their meeting on Sunday.
But, some are hoping she might voluntarily withdraw herself from the race for deputy president. Others have suggested that a motion of no confidence will be passed at the meeting if she does not step down. Highly placed women’s league insiders have warned of a possible split if she is forced out. They say the statement that Madikizela-Mandela is out of the running for the deputy presidency stemmed from the league’s national office and not from its meetings.
They add that many senior members of the league heard of her removal from the nominations list from radio and newspaper reports. The statement, issued by the league’s executive member, Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini, does not appear to have been canvassed widely among other senior members.
“No structures of the women’s league have taken, let alone discussed that resolution,” said an official, who expressed surprise that Madikizela-Mandela was not informed of the decision.
“Following the `controversial statement’ purporting to be coming from the league’s national working committee we, as senior officials, met and discussed how to respond.
“We agreed that the matter will be discussed by the national executive committee over the weekend. This matter is already dividing us and it is going to cause big problems at the meeting if it is not handled properly.”
Another women’s league source said some executive members may resign in solidarity with Madikizela-Mandela and refuse to endorse a new nomination list “if [Nkosazana] Zuma is forced down our throats”.
“They are seeking ways to isolate Madikizela-Mandela and make her an outcast,” the angry woman said.