Paul Mashatile has become a strong contender for the post of ANC deputy president.
- Paul Mashatile has vowed to serve, not enrich himself, if he is elected ANC deputy president.
- His campaign for the post has hit some snags, with the province of KwaZulu-Natal, which pushed his candidacy, announcing it was reconsidering its support.
- Mashatile declined to comment on how the province’s position affects his chances.
With his back against the wall after the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal indicated it was rethinking its support for him in his bid for the position of ANC deputy president, Paul Mashatile’s campaign received a welcome boost as party leaders from his home town rallied to back them
ANC national executive (NEC) members Abed Bapela, Nkenke Kekana and Deputy Minister of the Presidency Thembi Siweya spoke in support of Mashatile on Tuesday.
Speaking at a political lecture on the “true revival of the ANC” in Alexandra, Johannesburg, Bapela said the party needed to start working for the people to ensure its survival.
“Paul is the type of leader who, when he takes over as deputy president, the ANC will be in good hands,” Bapela said.
He admitted that the ANC has recently gone astray due to deep factional fighting and leaders’ preoccupation with corruption instead of serving the people.
“We don’t want anything special”
As he took to the podium at the packed Alexsan Kopano Education Center in Alexandra, Mashatile said his only desire was to serve.
Mashatile said: “The answer to why I want to be deputy president is simple: I want to serve. When we do this ahead of the ANC elective conference, we do it to serve our people. We don’t want anything special for ourselves or our families ev; we just want to serve.”
He said he did not want ANC members to shower him with gifts when he becomes deputy president, but to come to him with their problems, which he promised to prioritize.
Tuesday’s show of support for Mashatile comes as the tide appears to be turning against him. The party’s largest province, KwaZulu-Natal, said it was reconsidering its support for him.
The ANC in KZN backed NEC member Tsweli Mkhize for president and endorsed Mashatile for deputy until he said that although he had been nominated for deputy president, he would not rule out playing the presidential election.
In a veiled criticism of Mashatile, ANC KZN chairperson Sibanisa Duma said other provinces would not force his province to support Mashatile for deputy president.
Duma said lobbying is still ongoing and will continue until December 16, when the conference begins.
The bone of contention was that the ANC could not have all its leadership from Gauteng. He called on the party to demonstrate some diversity in the nomination and election of leaders.
“Gauteng province, you don’t have the right to just bulldoze us; please don’t make fun of us – come to the lobby and let’s have a hard discussion,” he said.
Duma added: “Why should we support your candidate if you don’t support ours?”
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“It is not that ANC Gauteng should get all the leadership… we are not going to hold a conference in Gauteng province. This is a national conference. Therefore, we must adopt the spirit of ensuring this. Let’s be diverse,” he said. .
When asked how the ANC’s position in KZN could affect his bid for the deputy presidency, a visibly annoyed Mashatile said: “Go and ask them (the ANC in KZN).”
Mashatile led the nomination process with 1,791 branches supporting him for the position of Deputy President. His support was based on the nomination of KZN.
He received 521 nominations from the region. He also received support from Gauteng, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.
Three names are expected to be on the ballot for the position, with Justice Minister Ronald Lamola receiving 427 nominations – the majority from Mpumalanga.
Eastern Cape ANC chairman Oscar Mabuyane won the support of 397 ANC branches – the majority from his home province. Only seven other wards outside the Eastern Cape supported his candidacy for the position of Deputy President.
Incumbent Vice President David Mabuza managed to gather only 77 nominations, which eliminated him from the ballot.
