Sisisi Tolashe received 1 564 nominations for ANCWL president.
Ziyaad Douglas/Gallo Images
- The ANC Women’s League concludes its congress on Sunday.
- Delegates voted for preferred candidates in the early hours of the morning.
- The ANCWL presidency is being contested by three candidates with former leader, Bathabile Dlamini, receiving the fewest nominations from branches.
Former ANC Women’s League leader Bathabile Dlamini received the fewest nominations – just 258 – for the league’s presidency as she trailed Eastern Cape delegate Sisisi Tolashe who led the pack with 1 564 nominations.
The league’s elective conference finalised its credentials and nominations late on Saturday night.
Voting resumed early on Sunday. Dlamini entered the congress with ambitions for a second term.
But the nomination from branches shows that her re-election may be elusive.
The nominations aren’t the deciding factor as to whether a candidate will win, but they do offer a window into the conference mood and delegates’ appetite for candidates.
Tolashe was highly favoured and shown support from the conference floor by delegates.
She currently serves as a deputy minister in the Presidency and is seen as an ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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With her 1 564 nominations, she is trailed by Thembeka Mchunu, the wife of Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Mchunu, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal, received 796 nominations.
Bathabile Dlamini secured only 258 nominations for the position of ANCWL president.
Tina Joemat-Petterson, who died in June this year, had received 1 061 nominations for the deputy president position.
Lungi Gcabashe was nominated with 325, and former Free State premier Sisi Ntombela stood at 230, but has since withdrawn her nomination.
The secretary-general position saw the nominations of Lydia Zita-Moroane, Nokuthula Nqaba and Weziwe Tikana. Zita-Moroane received the most nominations at 1 218.
The treasurer’s general position saw the former ANCWL fundraiser Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae receive many nominations from branches – more than 2 000. She will contest against Manketsi Tlhape.
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Former minister of communications Dina Pule was nominated from the floor to contest for the deputy secretary position. She will challenge two other candidates: Winnie Ngwena and Makoma Makhurupetje.
The leaders’ voting process was expected to take place throughout Sunday morning and the winning candidate was also expected to be announced on Sunday morning.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to close the conference later in the day.
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