By Diplomatic Inside Team
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will have not choice but to accommodate young people in his Cabinet in the near future as many of the ruling party African National Congress (ANC) old guard were not re-eleted into the new National Executive Committee (NEC).
This left President Cyril Ramaphosa who was re-elected for a second term as president of the ANC, with a team of young people to lead into the future. Among the youth in the NEC were Ramaphosa’s allies such as Minister of Justice and Correctional Service Ronald Lamola, Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, former ANC Youth League’s Maropene Ramokgopa and even the convener of the current youth structure, National Youth Task team made it into the NEC.
The conference, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec from 16 to 20 December, Gauteng Province was organised mainly to elect new leaders and approve policies.
The ANC’s Electoral Commission managed to announced the party’s top seven leaders on Monday, 19 December, despite hours of delay on day one as delegates waited to be accredited at the nearby UNISA Centre in Ormonde, and Soweto.
Ramaphosa received a total of 2 476 votes against his challenger, Dr Zweli Mkhize’s 1 897 while the party’s treasuser-general Paul Mashatile was elected as Deputy President to Ramaphosa with 2178 votes.
ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal, the biggest province in terms of delegates to the conferance, has no members elected into the ANC’s top seven for the second time running, while the party’s high profile names were left out of the elite ANC NEC. Among those not elected were former Deputy President David Mabuza, Department of International Relations Cooperation (Dirco) Minister Naledi Pandor, Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, ANC policy chief Jeff Radebe, party strategist Joel Netshitendze, former Finace Minister Tito Mboweni and South African Communist Party chairman, Blade Nzimande. Others whose names who could not find a space in the NEC or did not accept the nomination from the floors to serve in the ANC NEC Tony Yengeni, Derek Hanekom, Thulas Nxesi, Pravin Gordhan, Collen Maine, Beauty Dlulane, Nkoane Maite Mashabane, Sdumo Dlamini, Alvin Botes, Zingiswa Losi, Sfiso Buthelezi, Bongani Bongo, Baleka Mbete, Ruth Bhengu, Mosebenzi Zwane, Ngoako Ramathlodi, Mathole Motshekga, Dikeledi Magadzi, Siyabonga Cwele, Mildrend Oliphant, Susan Shabangu, Thokozile Xasa, Nomaindia Mfeketo, Candith Mashigo, Rejoice Mabhudafatsi, Sylvia Lucas, Ayanda Dlodlo and Nathi Mthethwa.
Ministry of Minerals and Energy, Gwede Mantashe was re-elected as ANC Chairperson and he narrowly beat Limpopo premier Stanley Mathabatha for the position. Mantashe secured 2,062 votes while Mathabatha got 2,018 votes. Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo, a third candidate for this position only received 280 votes. Mantashe told 702 Radio that this will be his last term as the ruling party’s chairperson.
Transport Minister Fkile Mbalula has been elected as secretary-general of the ANC while former Minister of Environmental Affairs Nomvula Paula Mokonyane has been elected as deputy secretary-general of the governing party. And Maropene Ramokgopa elected ANC second deputy secretary-general as a newly introduced position in the party. Gwen Ramokgopa was elected the Treasurer-General of the ANC, becoming the first female to occupy that position in the ANC’s 110 year history.
It is expected that President Ramaphosa will have to reshuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks following the results of the ANC’s 55th elective conference. His Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who lead a revolt against the President in party vote in the parliament for the adoption of the Section 89 report in the National Assembly on 14 December, might lost her position in the reshuffle.
Also likely to be axed is the Minister of Tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu, a daughter of the late ANC stalwarts, Walter and Albertina Sisulu. She openly criticised Ramaphosa during her presidential campaign demanding that he should step aside over the Phala Phala saga involving the discovery of million of US dollars in cash at the President’s farm outside Pretoria.
