ANC veterans want former COPE member Mlambo-Ngcuka as ANC deputy president

The ANC Veterans League has nominated President Cyril Ramaphosa for re-election when the party meets for its national conference in December.

The body of elders, which has been turned into a task team, also wants Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to be elected the party’s deputy president, to the dismay of some ANC leaders.

This is the first nomination the country’s former deputy president has received from provincial structures, most of which have so far given treasurer-general Paul Mashatile the nod for the deputy position.

Her nomination has riled several ANC national executive committee (NEC) members because she left the governing party for Cope in 2009.

Some have questioned why trusted ANC elders would nominate a person who had been a member of the opposition. They have also questioned whether she has been back in the ANC fold for 10 years, as required by the conference guidelines.

The guidelines for the conference state only those who have been ANC members in good standing for a minimum of 10 years can stand for election.

“Phumzile left for Cope, I doubt it has even been 10 years since she came back. Clearly we create task teams to reward people,” an NEC member said.

“If the veterans league of the ANC can do this, where are we going?”

Mlambo-Ngcuka joined Cope in March 2009 shortly after its formation. Months before she had resigned as the country’s deputy president after the ANC recalled then-president Thabo Mbeki.

It was not immediately clear whether Mlambo-Ngcuka qualified to stand for nomination, with those close to the processes saying the electoral committee led by Kgalema Motlanthe would make the call after consolidating all nominations.

“They will have to check if all those who are nominated have been ANC members in good standing, and whether they accept nominations. You may find Phumzile will not accept the nomination,” said a senior party leader.

The leagues of the ANC are given provincial status at the conference.

The ANC nominations processes officially closed on Monday, with the electoral committee soon to start consolidating all nominations and checking whether those nominated meet the criteria, which includes submission of financial records.

The veterans league also nominated Joel Netshitenzhe as national chair, Gwen Ramokgopa as secretary-general, Febe Potgieter as deputy secretary-general and Barbara Creecy as treasurer-general.

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