Pretoria - The Limpopo ANC has renewed calls for the creation of the position of the second ANC deputy secretary ahead of the party’s national conference in December. This is according to provincial chairperson and Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha, who will contest for the position of national chairperson.
Mathabatha asserted that he deserved to become the next chairperson of the party since the position was reserved for senior members of the ANC. However, he would accept nomination for other posts.
He was nominated by his Jantjie Kabini (ward 31) branch in his province, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, boosting his chances of emerging as Gwede Mantashe’s replacement.
Speaking exclusively to the Pretoria News, Mathabatha said his provincial executive committee (PEC) was engaging with KZN, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West to lobby for support.
“We have six positions that are being contested and we as Limpopo are suggesting that we should have seven. We are suggesting that we add one deputy secretary-general to have two to boost the NEC. This would also ensure that all the provinces we are engaging with would have a position.”
Although the province had resolved that the PEC would support President Cyril Ramaphosa for a third term and treasurer-general Paul Mashatile as his deputy, Mathabatha did not divulge who the province was supporting for the other positions.
In recent months Mashatile has had to oversee the office of the ANC secretary-general after Ace Magashule was suspended, and his deputy, Jessie Duarte, fell ill and later passed on.
Also nominated for the position of chairperson is incumbent Mantashe, who was chosen by his home province the Eastern Cape.
Mathabatha said he would accept nominations for other positions if forced to.
“Once your branch says it’s nominating you for any position whatever, if you accept it means you have accepted nomination from whoever is a member of the ANC in good standing and I have accepted nominations in my branch.
“If I’m nominated in any other position, I would firstly consult with my branch and then I would consult comrades in the organisation who are leading with me in this province as to whether I should accept or not, and if they say continue and accept it, I would accept it, and if they say I must not accept it, I won’t accept it.”
Asked what he would do better as chairperson of the party, Mathabatha said: “Remember that position was non-existent in the ANC for many years. It was only established in 1991, so that you must have somebody very senior in the organisation who is going to make an oversight in whatever things that the ANC will be doing and make sure that they are doing it in the traditions and the cultures of the ANC.
“You will be an overseer, to advise the president, who is the overall leader of the organisation, and the executive council.
“I think I can do that because I have been long within the ANC. I have been in the ANC for 45 years.”
Pretoria News