/ 11 December 2017

No contest expected at Free State ANC conference

Looking left: Free State premier Ace Magashule wants to move more rapidly to deracialise the economy. Photo: David Harrison
Looking left: Free State premier Ace Magashule wants to move more rapidly to deracialise the economy. Photo: David Harrison

Free State Premier Ace Magashule is likely to be re-elected to serve another year as chairperson of the ANC in the province.

This comes as his opponent in the provincial leadership race, deputy chairperson Thabo Manyoni, boycotted the elective conference being held in Parys this week.

During his political address on Sunday, Magashule said the current Free State leadership would be elected unopposed and that people would see for themselves that there was no contest.

“Please don’t prop up people who don’t matter. They feel like giants, but if you’re a giant you won’t go to court,” he said in an apparent jibe at Manyoni and his supporters who had gone to court on numerous occasions to try interdict the gathering.

“The media is busy talking about a (leadership) contest in the Free State. Contest where? They will see today that there is no contest.”

Magashule is the longest-serving provincial chairperson of the ANC, having been in the position since 1992. He said he took exception to people who referred him as a “traditional leader” who would stay in a leadership position until death.

Despite his comments on Manyoni he insisted that there was unity in the province and that Manyoni was part of deliberations last week to finalise arrangements for the conference.

His claim of unity, however, has been put into question by the expectation that Manyoni is the only person to be replaced from the current leadership.

He is expected to be replaced by Motheo regional secretary Paseka Nompondo.