Ramokgopa hints at a restructured ANC leadership with more women at helm

It’s highly likely that the composition of the ANC’s top officials will change at the party’s elective conference in December, with a sizeable increase in the number of women in those positions, the party’s coordinator in the secretary-general’s office, Gwen Ramokgopa, said on Tuesday.

Ramokgopa, who insiders say is likely to take on former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, transport minister Fikile Mbalula, ANC GM Febe Potgieter and head of the presidency Sibongile Besani for the secretary-general position, says the potential changes emanated from the policy conference recommendations.

These called for greater gender parity at all levels of the organisation.

“ANC positions ... are a highly contested space among men themselves and therefore there would (also) be is a tendency of pushing women aside,” she told Business Day in an interview.

If a woman is elected into the secretary-general’s position, which is responsible for driving the party’s programmes, it would be a first for the century-old governing party.

It is also a view that is being pushed by the provincial executive committee of the ANC in the Eastern Cape, which will be leading 660 delegates to the conference. The Eastern Cape leadership resolved over the weekend to lobby other provinces to support women candidates for the secretary-general office.

Ramokgopa’s comments come after the start of the ANC nomination process by branches this week. A candidate requires 25% support from either branch nominations or the conference floor to make it to the ballot paper.

Ramokgopa, who is largely viewed by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political rivals in the ANC as a key ally of the president, was brought in by the national executive committee (NEC) to help fill the void left by suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule and his deputy, Jessie Duarte, who passed away in July.

The position of secretary-general has been held by treasurer-general Paul Mashatile in an acting capacity, but Ramokgopa was recently assigned extra  responsibilities such as party co-ordinator, including attending officials’ meetings.

Magashule’s suspension could pave the way for the party to elect a new secretary-general as the ANC’s electoral regulations bar members who are facing serious crimes from standing for the leadership positions.

He was suspended after being charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering in connection with the R255m Free State asbestos scandal.

“I have been approached by a number of branches to stand for various positions,” she said. Ramokgopa said she asked those who approached her to take the decisions in their branches.

With the succession race heating up in the run-up to December, Ramokgopa, a former health MEC in Gauteng and former mayor of Tshwane, did not reveal which provinces or branches are backing her campaign to either be among the ANC’s top officials or 80-member NEC.

maekot@businesslive.co.za