Independently minded African National Congress leader Makhenkesi Stofile looks certain to hold the party’s Eastern Cape leadership at its conference later this month.
This is despite internal criticism of his performance as premier, most recently from Port Elizabeth business-man Mkhuseli Jack. In a letter to President Thabo Mbeki leaked to the press, Jack urged Stofile’s dismissal, accusing him of governance failures, including the unemployment of 7 000 teachers, the collapse of a feeding scheme, the decay of municipalities and disarray in health care.
ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama, formerly economic affairs and then housing MEC in the Eastern Cape, has hotly denied instigating the letter because he has provincial ambitions.
Unlike many ANC premiers, Stofile has strongly supported nevirapine programmes for HIV-positive pregnant women. In his state of the province address in February, he said the Eastern Cape would train clinic midwives to test and counsel HIV-positive pregnant women.
The announcement was over- shadowed by the dramatic stand-off between the Gauteng government and the national Ministry of Health.
Stofile has an advantage over his former United Democratic Front counterparts — his family is closely linked to that of Mbeki, who are also from the Eastern Cape.
ANC sources say national leaders have been worried about the province — traditionally a party stronghold — and considered deploying former minister Steve Tshwete, an Eastern Cape man, before his death.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions’s Eastern Cape secretary, Xola Pakati, confirmed Cosatu would continue supporting Stofile, as it believed “he can deliver”. Cosatu played a role in bringing him to the province to replace Rivonia trialist Raymond Mhlaba in 1997.
Fondly referred to as “Baba”, Stofile, a former Fort Hare theology lecturer and Presbyterian cleric, previously served as the ANC’s chief whip in Parliament and as the party’s treasurer.
He is considered above lobbying for position.
“If he is removed, he’ll happily go back to teaching theology. They love him there,” says a party associate.
MEC for Finance and former trade unionist Enoch Godongwana has been punted as a possible challenger for the leadership, but sources doubt he will stand.
Godongwana, who is close to Stofile, previously served as general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers and chaired Cosatu’s economic development task force. He is considered a likely candidate for deputy chairperson.
The current deputy chairperson, Stone Sizani, MEC for Education, was elected chairperson of the Port Elizabeth region at the weekend. In terms of new ANC regulations, a member cannot hold more than one official position.