Jacob Zuma’s grip on the African National Congress is set to tighten with both leading candidates for the presidency of the Women’s League seen as strong supporters of the party president.
Gauteng housing minister Nomvula Mokonyane and education minister Angie Motshekga are frontrunners for the Women’s League’s top post. However, former league president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela could be a wild-card entry. Madikizela-Mandela was the league’s president until 2003.
The league’s conference, which takes place in the first week of July in Mangaung (Bloemfontein), is expected to tackle the organisation’s state of disarray.
Last year the league held a national general council at which major problems were identified as absence of recruitment strategies, poor provincial leadership and lack of resources.
But the leadership battle is bringing to the surface splits between the Zuma supporters who are set to take over an organisation the previous leadership of which strongly supported Thabo Mbeki. Motshekga is still considered a favourite for the post, but Mokonyane is gaining support. The current president, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is regarded as an Mbeki supporter and is not expected to stand.
The Women’s League was widely criticised last year for nominating Zuma for the ANC presidency.
Mapisa-Nqakula was overruled by the league’s national executive committee, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of Zuma
Women’s groups believed that either the league should have nominated a woman or, given a choice between Mbeki and Zuma, should have settled for Mbeki.
Their reasoning was that Mbeki has repeatedly spoken out in favour of women leaders and has said he wants to be succeeded by a female president.
In contrast during Zuma’s trial for rape he made comments some regarded as demeaning to women. Zuma was acquitted.
This weekend the Women’s League will be complete provincial congresses in preparation for the national conference.
The Mail & Guardian understands that in KwaZulu-Natal Zuma supporters are pushing for Mokonyane after the initial informal lobbying favoured Motshekga.
Similar divisions between Zuma’s supporters were visible during the campaign for the leadership of the ANC Youth League, with both candidates backing the ANC president. The days of Mbeki versus Zuma appear to be firmly over; the fighting is now within the group that lobbied for the new ANC president.
Senior members of the Women’s League interviewed by the M&G say that while Mokonyane and Motshekga are the favourites, there is a possibility that Madikizela-Mandela could be nominated from the floor.
”We are also looking at the workload of people, learning from our experience with [Mapisa-Nqakula]. We think it would be good for the Women’s League to be led by someone who is not in government,” a Gauteng member said.
”One thing we know for sure is [Mapisa-Nqakula] did not build the league,” another agreed.
”We think [Madikizela-Mandela] would be the uniting person. She is back on the NEC and this will give her dignity and let her hand over the baton in a good way. We want to give her that honour.”