Thursday was described as the ”toughest yet” by a delegate at the African National Congress (ANC) policy conference in Midrand.
”It was the toughest … there are different views in terms of the decision to nominate a presidential candidate,” said Ernest Makopo from Gauteng.
Most provinces agreed that the president of the ANC should automatically become the president of the country if the party was elected, he said. ”We have intellectuals in the organisation and I don’t know why they are different. The ANC must not be divided.”
Makopo said the role of the secretary general of the ANC was also examined during the commission. Proposals were made to give the position ”more teeth”.
”The problem is there is no mechanism to push him to do that … there needs to be more flesh to his role as the engine of the organisation.”
On Wednesday, the opening day of the conference, ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe said three leadership suggestions emerged from provincial discussions.
The first suggestion, which elicited applause from the delegates, was for the elected president of the ANC to stand as the party’s representative for the presidency of the country.
The second suggestion was to place the decision on who should be the party’s candidate in the hands of the national executive committee (NEC), and that the decision would be based on a list process. The conference did not seem as pleased with this suggestion and groaned at its announcement.
The third suggestion was to elect a candidate to represent the party in general elections at the same time as the election of the leadership of the ANC. This suggestion included allowing the ANC national conference in December to decide whether the two offices should be linked.
Opposition
Limpopo delegate Samuel Shlangwani on Thursday also said the provinces seemed to be against the party president and the country’s president being different individuals, and against a third term for the ruling-party president.
Another delegate, who asked to remain anonymous, said there was no agreement in her commission yet on whether the party president should automatically be the ANC’s presidential candidate. ”They may not be able to resolve it here,” the delegate said.
She said the commission agreed to allow the provincial executive committee to make recommendations on the appointment of premiers. It was also agreed that regional executive committees would make recommendations to provinces on mayoral candidates.
Western Cape delegate Mninzo Zumuna said the conference is key to ”rebuild the country”. ”We made progress, but we have to continue; it’s in our interest to do this, to lead our country well.”
The commissions were disrupted earlier by a power failure at Gallagher Estate. One delegate said debates continued in the dark, with delegates activating their cellphones when they wished to speak. Another said the blinds in his commission’s room were opened to allow the sunlight in.
Delegates broke for lunch at about 1pm, after many hours locked in commission, and most remained tight-lipped on proceedings. Some said they ”were not mandated” to talk of the debate to the media.
”We are not done, that is all I’m saying,” one said. Another said: ”No comment; there are people to comment on that.”
Delegates got right back to it after breaking for lunch, and were scheduled to be shut away until 6pm. The conference continues. — Sapa