The African National Congress’s 52nd national conference got down on Wednesday to the nitty-gritty work of the commission that discusses the party’s policies in an atmosphere that one delegate described as the ”cessation of hostilities” over its new president Jacob Zuma.
Spokesperson Steyn Speed said delegates would break into commissions to discuss the policy issues that will mark the way forward for the party and, ultimately the country.
Delegates from individual commissions would also take turns to vote for the additional 80 members of the party’s new extended national executive committee.
Disappointingly for the media, the party decided that it would be more appropriate for Zuma to speak at the closing ceremony of the conference on Thursday and the media briefing expected for Wednesday morning was postponed.
The ANC Youth League, vocal supporters in Zuma’s campaign to succeed Thabo Mbeki, were expected to celebrate Zuma’s win at a party in a hangar at Polokwane’s Gateway International Airport on Wednesday night.
Amid fears of what the change of presidency would do to South Africa’s economy, the JSE on Wednesday seemed unperturbed with the all-share index inching up by 0,1% by mid-morning, in line with European markets.
The rand lost 1c to trade at R6,91 to the US dollar.
Newspapers described Zuma’s stunning victory as a tsunami, and said the defeated party boss, President Thabo Mbeki, had been humiliated. The tabloid newspaper Sowetan carried the headline ”Zunami Rules”.
Action man
The Independent Democrats (ID) said on Wednesday that Zuma must be a man of action.
”We hope that the ANC will now finally focus on the important policy issues, because we as South Africans really need to deal with creating jobs, fighting poverty, improving service delivery and of course combating crime and corruption,’ said ID leader Patricia De Lille.
”South Africa needs a leader who is pro-poor and stands firm when it comes to the protection of the most vulnerable in our society, women and children.”
De Lille said she hoped Zuma would be an all-inclusive leader who would seek to end discrimination.
”We also hope that he will move away from policy making to policy implementation — South Africa needs to see more action and less talk,” she said.
Cleen sweep
Zuma received 2 329 votes against Mbeki’s 1 505.
The Zuma camp swept the board in the voting for the other top five positions in the party’s executive.
Former secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe was voted deputy president with 2 346 votes against Zuma’s former wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who received 1 444 votes.
Speaker of the national assembly Baleka Mbete garnered 2 326 votes, beating Joel Netshitenzhe with 1 475.
Gwede Mantashe was elected secretary general with 2 378 votes against former chairperson and Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota’s 1 432.
Thandi Modise was voted deputy secretary general with 2 304 votes against Thoko Didiza’s 1 455.
Former Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa was voted treasurer-general with 2 328 votes against Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s 1 374. – Sapa