Business Day
*Eastern Cape women’s league backs Zuma*** *Natasha Marrian, Business Day, Johannesburg, 2 October 2012*PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma inspires "leadership transparency" and should serve a second term as head of the African National Congress (ANC), the ANC Women’s League in the Eastern Cape said yesterday.
The league in the Eastern Cape, the party’s second-largest province, was the first body in the organisation to endorse Mr Zuma as the official nomination process started yesterday, ahead of the ANC’s Mangaung elective conference.
Leagues in the ANC — the women’s league, youth league and veterans’ league, hold the same voting rights as provinces during an elective conference, which may make securing an endorsement from them critical for any would-be ANC leader.
Nationally, the women’s league is believed to largely support Mr Zuma, but a formal decision on who it would back in Mangaung has yet to be taken. Deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe may challenge Mr Zuma for the party presidency in December, although he has not publicly stated his intention.
The women’s league in the Eastern Cape wants Mr Motlanthe replaced if he accepts nomination to replace Mr Zuma.
The faction punting change in the ANC has its power base in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
The women’s league in Gauteng failed to take a decision on who it would support in Mangaung after a chaotic elective conference collapsed on Sunday. ANC Women’s League president Angie Motshekga yesterday said the hasty decision to convene an elective conference at the expense of procedure was at the root of the failure of the gathering.
While the Gauteng ANC leadership is punting change, Mr Zuma has a strong ally in the province in its premier, Nomvula Mokonyane — who is also on the women’s league national executive committee.
Women’s league secretary-general Sisisi Tolashe was working with the province to "get the voters’ roll cleaned", Ms Motshekga said. The conference may be reconvened this weekend.
Allegations that the credentials process was frustrated as it did not favour a pro-Zuma outcome were dismissed by Ms Motshekga.
The chaotic provincial women’s league conference may be a foretaste of things to come as the party edges closer to the all-important gathering in Mangaung.
Ms Motshekga said the women’s league would meet on Friday to discuss dates for its national general council, where a decision on ANC leadership was likely to be taken.
The ANC Youth League has made no secret of its opposition to Mr Zuma, backing Mr Motlanthe to take over the party reins in December. However, the young lions also appear divided over the matter.
The ANC Veterans League under its president, Sandi Sejake, has been critical of Mr Zuma’s leadership.
*From: http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/politics/2012/10/02/eastern-cape-womens-league-backs-zuma*
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