President Thabo Mbeki must not be re-elected for a third term as party leader, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in Gauteng said on Wednesday.
“We reject the notion of two centres of power … whoever is elected as the ANC president must be the president of the country,” said secretary general Lebogang Maile.
Maile said ANCYL was confident their preferred candidate would be voted in because the league had more members at branches and would be able to influence decisions.
The league has nominated Jacob Zuma as their preferred candidate for the position of party president, Kgalema Motlanthe as deputy president, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as national chairperson, Gwede Mantashe as secretary general, Baleka Mbete as deputy secretary general and Mathews Phosa as treasurer general.
Speculation that the Gauteng branch would put forward its own nominations was unfounded, said Maile.
“Over 200 members from 153 branches in Gauteng attended the nomination process and all agreed on the suggested nominees. Those suggesting otherwise are faceless sources who wish to bring instability to the ANC Youth League. We are not divided from the national youth league.”
Tokyo Sexwale was never suggested in the nomination process said Maile, but if he “wishes to contest then he should do so and he can, any member of the ANC has a right to contest and if elected we will work with them and not against them”.