These are the ANC’s top 7 officials

This is the ANC’s new leadership — the party’s top 7 — elected at the ANCs 55th elective conference in Nasrec. Three women, both well-respected and experienced leaders, were also elected into the new leadership.

Cyril Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected ANC leader during the party’s national conference, beating close rival Zweli Mkhize. Ramaphosa was first elected to the powerful position on December 18 2017. He served as deputy president of both the party and state under former president Jacob Zuma.

He was elected to the position of ANC secretary-general at the 1991 national conference, the first conference of the ANC in the country after unbanning, under the presidency of Nelson Mandela.

Paul Mashatile

Newly elected ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile is former premier of SA’s economic hub, Gauteng. He was elected treasurer-general during the party’s national elective conference in 2017. He served as arts and culture deputy minister under former president Jacob Zuma. Mashatile is viewed as part of the “Alex Mafia” — a term used to describe influential businesspeople and politicians with links to the sprawling township of Alexandra, north of Johannesburg.

Fikile Mbalula

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has been elected to the powerful position of secretary-general of the ANC. He is former minister of police, and of sports, arts and culture. Mbalula also served as secretary-general of the ANC Youth League and later became president of the league.

Nomvula Mokonyane

First deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane is a former premier of Gauteng. She is also a former minister of three ministries  — communications; environmental affairs; and water and sanitation. She attracted controversy during her tenure as water and sanitation minister when it emerged that a young man she was allegedly romantically involved was said to be responsible for approving payments for contracts in the department despite him not being an employee.

In 2019, former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi told the state capture commission the controversial facilities management company effectively kept Mokonyane on a corrupt retainer — paying her with cash, property maintenance and food including frozen chicken pieces — because of the huge power she wielded.

Maropene Ramakgopa

Newly elected ANC second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa is ANC Women’s League co-ordinator and Ramaphosa’s special adviser on international relations. In 2006, at age 26, she was appointed executive mayor of a Northern Cape district municipality by former president Thabo Mbeki. She was one of the youngest mayors at the time. Former president Jacob Zuma appointed her in 2016 to represent SA as the head of mission at the consulate in Mumbai, India. She held the post for four years.

Gwede Mantashe 

Mantashe was elected chair of the SACP in 2007, and also served as a member of the party’s Central Committee. At the 52nd national conference of the ANC in Polokwane in December 2007, he was elected the secretary-general of the ANC. In 2012 at the 53rd meeting in Mangaung, he was re-elected, a position he held until the 54th national conference in Nasrec in December 2017, where he was elected national chair of the ANC.

Earlier in 2022, Mantashe said he was taking the state capture report on review. This after the inquiry headed by chief justice Raymond Zondo recommended that Mantashe be probed for corruption after he received security installations without charge from Bosasa. Mantashe disputed allegations that the security upgrades had cost around R300,000, saying they had only cost about R10,000.

Gwen Ramokgopa

Former Gauteng health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa was elected treasurer-general of the ANC. She served as Tshwane executive mayor from 2006 to 2010 and then as health deputy minister from 2010 to 2014. 

mkentanel@businesslive.co.za

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