Outgoing ANC deputy president David ‘DD’ Mabuza has made rather inglorious history by failing to make it in two of the top positions at the party's 55th national elective conference in Nasrec, South of Joburg.
This after he declined following a nomination from the floor, for re-election on the same position. This ruled him out of the party’s top leadership structures.
The ANC deputy president position was battled out between party treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and NEC members Ronald Lamula and Oscar Mabuyane
It will be a first that a reigning ANC deputy president doesn’t make it to become the party’s president. Thabo Mbeki became president in 1999 after deputising the first democratic president Nelson Mandela from 1994.
Mbeki was replaced by Jacob Zuma who had also been his deputy until 2008.
Incumbent president Cyril Ramaphosa, who was Zuma’s deputy, became ANC president in 2018.
Mabuza can now only contest for space in the National Executive Committee (NEC) where he will be eligible to be minister.
He has been Deputy President of South Africa since February 2018 and deputy president of the ANC since December 2017.
Mabuza was Premier of Mpumalanga from 2009 to 2018, throughout the presidency of his former political ally Jacob Zuma.
Mabuza made a U-turn teaming up with Ramaphosa at the ANC’s 2017 54th conference where he convinced branches from Mpumalanga to vote for Ramaphosa instead of Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who had promised the votes would go to.
Voting at the weekend’s conference was well under way by Sunday afternoon after a gruelling night of nominations in the early hours.
While results were not announced at the time of going to print. Ramaphosa was expected to battle it out with his rival and former ally Dr Zweli Mkhize in a night of drama and chaos.
The chaos broke in the first deputy secretary position where the nomination process stalled for about 15 minutes as a result of the chaos after delegates from Gauteng were adamant that Nomvula Mokonyane, who accepted nomination, was uncontested while others wanted to nominate some more contenders.
However Tina Joemat-Pettersson was nominated from the floor supported by the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.
The contest for the new position of second deputy secretary was between Ranalda Ralimungu and Marupini Ramokgopa.
Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu failed to reach the 25 percent threshold after being nominated from the floor, paving the way for Gwen Ramokgopa, Ramaphosa’s embattled adviser Bejani Chauke, former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina and Pule Mabe to battle it out.
Pretoria News