They sang “I agenda ya makapital asiyifune and Sodibana eLimpopo [We don’t want the capitalist agenda and we’ll meet in Limpopo]” outside Rabasotho Hall in Tembisa. About 50 ANC members had gathered after hearing senior ANC leaders, Defence Minister Mosioua Lekota and Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, were to address “delegates to Polokwane”.
<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/321750/Icon_ANCconference.gif" align=left border=0></a>Key strategists for African National Congress (ANC) presidential frontrunner Jacob Zuma are working to increase his majority at the Polokwane national conference and have vowed not to allow complacency to creep in. They have also blasted President Thabo Mbeki for intentionally dividing the ANC further by continuing to contest the election.
<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/321750/Icon_ANCconference.gif" align=left border=0></a>Politicians and mathematics don’t always go together, but the coming weeks could see campaigners doing the math to determine whether President Thabo Mbeki, businessman Tokyo Sexwale or Jacob Zuma are leading the nominations for the top job in the ANC.
The race for Gauteng’s ANC chairperson looks headed for a showdown between provincial Economic Affairs and Finance Minister Paul Mashatile and provincial Education Minister Angie Motshekga. Although provincial Housing Minister Nomvula Mokonyane is in the race, support for her is centred mainly in the West Rand region, where she comes from.
The ANC leadership in the North West has, as expected, nominated President Thabo Mbeki to continue for another term as party president. Although the formal nomination process starts only in October, the provincial executive committee has released a list of its top six preferences to its regions and branches for discussion.
I have lost count of the number of unwinnable debates I have held in the past few years with friends who are media ideologues. The essence of the discussion has been the same. It is that: "Rapule, we know you; you were a comrade but, unfortunately, you work for the capitalist media and he who pays the piper calls the tune."
The Spear of the Nation — Umkhonto weSizwe — is emerging as a potent weapon in the battle for the hearts and minds of delegates to the ANC’s national conference in December. And the backing of MK veterans could be the ace up Jacob Zuma’s sleeve in his bid for the party presidency.
Recent events and political blunders by the three leading African National Congress (ANC) presidential candidates suggest the race is still wide open. Outsiders such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Kgalema Motlanthe and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma cannot be ruled out.
The ANC plan for party secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe to interview dismissed deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge is a compromise between those who want her disciplined for her comments about the ANC president and those who feel she should not be sanctioned by the party.
The ANC Youth League’s proposed list for the top six positions on the ANC’s national executive committee might feature the following names: Jacob Zuma (for president), Kgalema Motlanthe (deputy president), Makhenkesi Stofile (national chairperson), Gwede Mantashe (secretary general), Baleka Mbete (deputy secretary general) and Matthews Phosa (treasurer general).