ANC presidential hopeful Dr Zweli Mkhize’s chances were boosted by the Free State endorsement. Picture: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency
DR ZWELI Mkhize’s chances of emerging as ANC president received a much-needed boost on Sunday when he managed to sway the Free State in his favour.
Mkhize was making his final push ahead of the ANC’s 55th national elective conference that is due to start on Friday in Johannesburg. Out of 251 delegates, the Free State will be sending 161 who have endorsed Mkhize for the president’s position. Addressing them in Mangaung, Mkhize said he was humbled by the support that he received from the birthplace of the ANC.
He said he felt rejuvenated to walk in the footsteps of the pathfinder of this freedom (first president Langalibalele Dube). He was also boosted by interacting with delegates who displayed a level of commitment to saving the ANC and brought hope for a better future.
“Generally, it has been a humbling experience to interact with ANC members and delegates to the 55th ANC national conference. Based on our interaction, we have agreed that the responsibility to ensure the ANC-led government delivers lies in the hands of the ANC members primarily more than it does with the opposition. This is how the ANC should approach its work and its programme of action moving forward. We have a responsibility to promote unity within the ANC and its alliance partners,” said Mkhize.
He said unity meant encouraging participation for each one to contribute to the decisions being taken in such a manner that people with opposing views openly exchanged their ideas and debated their differences without feeling that they belonged to different sides.
They rather were members of the same team exploring different aspects of a common challenge in order to agree on a common solution or programme of action.
Mkhize, who was expected to address delegates in Soweto on Monday before moving to the Eastern Cape on Wednesday, vowed to defeat poverty, inequality and unemployment.
Mkhize’s Free State win was dramatic since it was initially thought president Cyril Ramaphosa already had it in the bag. Many branches were said to have nominated Ramaphosa together with Mdumiseni for the secretary-general position but it appeared that Mkhize’s lobbyists worked tirelessly to sway delegates.
His chances were also boosted by the KwaZulu-Natal ANC Youth League which reaffirmed support for him.
Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday before the start of their provincial elective conference, many delegates reaffirmed their support for him. Most of the delegates were also delegates for the national conference which will begin on Friday in Nasrec in Gauteng.
Siyanda Mkhize, who was from ward 6 in Harry Gwala region in Ixopo, in the south west of KZN, said besides taking the cue from the province which pronounced Mkhize, his branch also nominated him and had asked him to vote for him and to try to persuade other delegates to do the same.
Siyanda Mkhize said his branch discussed the problems faced by the country and saw Mkhize as the person who could rescue the country economically. He said Mkhize has served in many portfolios both in the party and in government with distinction.
“After going through all the presidential candidates my branch chose Mkhize. We trust that he has what it takes to rescue us from this cliff we are fast drifting to. The economy of the country is not growing, unemployment is high and people are deep in poverty. Eskom too is not improving with the current leadership so we need a leader of Mkhize’s calibre to turn things around for the better.”
He further supported his branch's decision to back Mkhize because of how he handled Covid-19 issues while he was the health minister.
Another delegate, Lungisani Msweli from Nokuhamba region (KZN far north), also said his ward 7 branches under Hlabisa Big 5 Local Municipality had nominated Mkhize for the president’s position. He said as a youth in the province they strongly believed that he would turn things around.
In an interview with political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe recently, Mkhize said he believed that the economy of South Africa should be made to benefit all of its people.
“I stand to ensure that there is economic growth in all sectors of society. This whole concentration of the economy in the hands of a few is something that needs to be dealt with. We need to work hard to ensure that there is economic freedom for all our people, especially those who are marginalised. The African people need to be seen in the boardrooms, in the major corporations, driving major infrastructural and other economic programmes,” said Mkhize.
Mkhize is being tipped by various political analysts to win the presidential race.
Analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu said since Mkhize began his presidential campaign, he appeared to be sober-minded and knew what this country needed.
“Mkhize looks like he has seen the mistakes made by his organisation and wants to correct that.
“Both he and the incumbent president have skeletons under their desks, but the only difference between him and Ramaphosa is that Mkhize opted to resign voluntarily when he faced the Digital Vibes charges, whereas Ramaphosa, instead, is taking the report on review.”
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo said it was unfortunate that the ANC had had to choose between two tainted candidates.
He said the allegations levelled against them were damaging because they involved corruption.
“Ramaphosa promised to fight corruption, and today he is also facing similar charges.”
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said the ANC had made poor choices by having presidential frontrunners who were facing corruption allegations.
“Both are facing serious charges. However, the fact that Ramaphosa is the head of government makes it look like he is causing more damage to the ANC,” Mathekga said.