Former president Thabo Mbeki plans to turn down his place on the African National Congress’s (ANC) Gauteng list of candidates for the National Assembly, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
”He is not going to accept the nomination. He is retired from active politics. In any event had he served his full term, he was not going to serve as a public representative,” said Mukoni Ratshitanga.
Provincial secretary David Makhura said he was not permitted to reveal the level of support for Mbeki from the 300 branches entitled to nominate candidates in the province, but he would have to be nominated by at least five branches to be on the list.
The province’s list process began in October last year, a month after Mbeki was forced to resign as president when the ruling party said it no longer had faith in him as the person they deployed to the post.
The 300 branches in good standing out of the 356 in the province drew up three lists of candidates, including the branch in Merafong, which boycotted the last election during a border demarcation dispute.
One list is for representation in the provincial legislature, another suggests candidates drawn from Gauteng for the National Assembly, and a third, for candidates from around the country for the National Assembly.
”If you ask why he was nominated, I will say to you … I don’t know,” said Makhura. ”But ANC members will look at everybody they think will make a contribution.”
The list committee is currently working on eliminating candidates who may ultimately not be allowed to enter the legislature or the National Assembly.
Names that made it on to the list
Other well-known names featuring on the list include former ANC chief whip in Parliament Tony Yengeni, who served four months of a four-year sentence for defrauding Parliament, Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, axed intelligence director general Billy Masetlha and South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande.
Former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang also garnered support, as did business people Tokyo Sexwale and Cyril Ramaphosa and Mo Shaik, brother of Schabir.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela also gained a nomination while ANC Youth League president Julius Malema did not make it on to the list.
The former premier of Gauteng, Mbhazima Shilowa, resigned after Mbeki resigned and went on to co-launch Congress of the People (Cope), but the ANC said it was not worried about the impact this would have on their support in the country’s economic hub.
The provincial list will be finalised on Saturday at a conference in Braamfontein. — Sapa