ANC treasurer general Gwen Ramokgopa has downplayed her presidential ambitions. (@DrGwenR/X)
ANC treasurer general Gwen Ramokgopa has downplayed her presidential ambitions, saying the party has to prioritise the 2026 local government elections rather than the debate about who succeeds Cyril Ramaphosa.
“I would really appreciate it if I didn’t get into the presidential succession debate. We have a very big challenge, which is the 2026 elections, that we must face together, united,” Ramokgopa told journalists at the Progressive Business Forum in Hyde Park on Tuesday.
“It is also reasonable to expect debates on succession because we know that the current president’s term is coming to an end, but we have prioritised discussions on the 2026 local government elections.”
Ramokgopa said she could still contribute or make a difference in the ANC or society in general without necessarily holding a higher office in the former liberation movement.
“It’s not like we are running away from anything, but we think it’s in the best interests of society to get local government right, of stabilising the government of national unity, which is a new experience, and also giving hope to South Africans.”
Ramokgopa has been touted as one of the people who could succeed ANC leader Ramaphosa, particularly because she has not been linked to allegations of corruption. Insiders said an untainted name would boost the party’s efforts to renew itself in the face of waning support.
The party’s deputy president, Paul Mashatile, and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu are some of the people said to have had presidential ambitions, but both have allegations of corruption hanging over them.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula is also seen as a contender to take over from Ramaphosa, but some in the party think he is still too young for the position of president and needs to remain on the administrative side of the party.
In a posthumous 100-year birthday celebration at the weekend for party stalwart Gertrude Shope, who died a couple months short of reaching the centenary, the ANC Women’s League said it was searching for a female leader. This has fuelled speculation that women in the ANC will back a female leader for president at the 2027 elective conference.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was narrowly defeated by Ramaphosa in the 2017 conference.
On Tuesday, Ramokgopa noted that women in the ANC have found it difficult to emerge in positions such as president, secretary general and chairpersons in their provinces.
She said there was an unwritten law in the party that a leader in provinces or regions automatically becomes a leader in the government. In the past, the provincial or regional chair would simply assume the position of premier or mayor if they won at the elective conference, subject to the ANC winning provincial elections or local government elections.
The ANC has now introduced a rule that at least three candidates should be interviewed for positions such as premier and mayor, in a bid to avoid placing incompetent people simply because they had won provincial or regional elective conferences.
The ANC’s current first deputy secretary general, Nomvula Mokonyane, as well as Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, Maqueen Lestoha-Mathae and Nomusa Dube-Ncube became premiers of their provinces without being party leaders of their representative provinces.
“It has been explicit at the national level that the president of the party becomes the president of the country. It is not explicit in provinces and regions,” Ramokgopa said.
She noted that the ANC has a policy on 50/50 gender balance in ministerial appointments, but said the party had not been prescriptive on premiers and mayors.
“Our position now is that where there is a male premier, women should be more than 50% in the 10 MECs and also be the speaker of the legislature. That is how we are dealing with that issue,” Ramokgopa said.
Despite the strong push for women to be in leadership positions, there is still a requirement for them to be competent in their positions, she added.
“Running a municipality is like running a business. I’ve been there; it’s a business, and you should also have experience. That is really to stress that it can’t just be any woman for the sake of a woman. It must be a competent woman who would do the job as well as sometimes or even better [than men].”
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