Saturday and Sunday will now be reserved for the convening of a bi-annual lekgotla where alliance partners will also attend to plan for the year ahead.
A new national working committee (NWC) of the ANC has been elected at the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting this weekend in Irene Centurion.
The list of top 6 leaders and 20 additional members features 11 new changes from the previous NWC and is represented by a higher concentration of members believed to be supporters of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa’s opponent in the presidential race Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has been elected to the structure as a new addition, together with North West provincial secretary Dakota Lekgoete and former ANC Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola.
The changes have seen members such as small business development minister Lindiwe Zulu, finance minister Malusi Gigaba and Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu removed from the NWC.
In line with the party’s requirement that no less than 50% of NWC members are women, the party has elected a total of 12 women onto the structure.
The ANC was heavily criticised after it elected one woman (deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte) in the party’s Top 6 officials.
The NEC has also officially disbanded the provincial executive committees (PEC) of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, which were found by the courts to have been irregularly elected.
Task teams will now be appointed to oversee preparations for fresh elective conferences that must be held in the two provinces.
There has been speculation that, in addition to talks about the economy and organisational unit, the NEC has discussed the possible recall of state president Jacob Zuma. Party insiders say Ramaphosa will lead the negotiations for Zuma to step down.
In its statement released on Saturday morning, the NEC only made mention of a resolution to have “the officials, led by President Ramaphosa, continue their engagement with President Jacob Zuma to ensure effective coordination between the ANC and government”.
NEC members have told the Mail & Guardian that a previous attempt to negotiate a Zuma exit saw him demand the instatement of Dlamini-Zuma as interim president and immunity for state security minister Bongani Bongo as well as energy minister David Mahlobo.
Saturday and Sunday will now be reserved for the convening of a bi-annual lekgotla where alliance partners will also attend to plan for the year ahead.
List of new NWC members:
1. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
2. Lindiwe Sisulu
3. Naledi Pandor
4. Jeff Radebe
5. Angie Motshekga
6. Derek Hanekom
7. Edna Molewa
8. Thoko Didiza
9. Nomvula Mokonyane
10. Nathi Mthethwa
11. Ronald Lamola
12. Tina Joemat-Pettersson
13. Dakota Legoete
14. Senzo Mchunu
15. Zizi Kodwa
16. Tony Yengeni
17. Bathabile Dlamini
18. Nomaindia Mfeketo
19. Barbara Creecy
20. Thandi Modise