ANC supporters gathered in their numbers to listen to the ANC Gauteng branch's elections manifesto launch at the FNB stadium on June 4
The ANC in Gauteng has proposed a change to the country’s electoral system to allow voters to directly elect their preferred president and leaders in other executive positions.
The province also adopted a resolution to have individual ANC members to vote directly for party leaders at all levels.
The province adopted the resolutions at its 3-day Provincial General Council (PGC) held in Centurion this weekend.
They will be presented as proposals at the party’s 54th elective conference later this month.
Other changes the PGC proposed included expanding the size of the national executive to have two deputy presidents and two deputy secretaries general.
The call for a mixed electoral system, that will allow voters to directly elect leaders was first made by the Veterans League at its elective conference earlier this year.
“The PGC resolved that a mixed electoral system (constituency and proportional system) at national and provincial levels be introduced. Direct elections of president, premiers and executive mayors by the electorate,” the Gauteng structure said.
On Saturday, the party nominated deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa as its preferred presidential candidate. He received 374 branch nominations as opposed to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s 64 nominations.
Other nominations included Lindiwe Sisulu as deputy president, Gwede Mantashe as chairperson, Senzo Mchunu as secretary general, Vuyiswa Tulelo as deputy secretary general and Paul Mashatile as treasurer
While the PGC only made nominations for a top 6 structure it did propose that the executive leadership collective be expanded to 8 by allowing two deputy presidents and secretaries general.
“The two deputy secretary generals will be responsible for organisational building and campaigns and the other will be responsible for cadre development, political education & programmes,” the party said.
At present Ramaphosa is in the lead in the succession race with 1278 compared to Dlamini-Zuma’s 764.
Two provinces, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal are yet to make their nominations. While it is expected that Limpopo, will nominate Ramaphosa, KwaZulu-Natal, where Dlamini-Zuma has a large support base, is likely to cause a significant swing in her favour.