ANC Women Leagues slated for picking men to lead the party

SEEKING DIVINE INTERVENTION: Members of the ANC Women's League in solemn mood at the Tankiso Hall in Gugulethu, Cape Town, last night as they sing God Bless Africa at a prayer service for a peaceful ANC elective conference at Mangaung, starting on Sunday. Picture: Courtney Africa

SEEKING DIVINE INTERVENTION: Members of the ANC Women's League in solemn mood at the Tankiso Hall in Gugulethu, Cape Town, last night as they sing God Bless Africa at a prayer service for a peaceful ANC elective conference at Mangaung, starting on Sunday. Picture: Courtney Africa

Published Nov 25, 2022

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Cape Town - Political analysts have criticised the ANC Women’s League for letting women down and allowing ANC men to subvert the party’s gender-parity policy.

The criticism comes after the party announced the names nominated by its 4 000 branches nationwide to contest the top six leadership positions at its December conference.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s principal political advisers – Benjamin Chauke, Pule Mabe and former Ekurhuleni councillor Mzwandile Masina, all men – were nominated to contest the treasurer-general position.

Mdumiseni Ntuli and national executive committee members Phumulo Masualle and Fikile Mbalula will be on the ballot for secretary-general.

Stanley Mathabatha, Gwede Mantashe and David Masondo will slug it out for the chairperson role.

Paul Mashatile, Ronald Lamola and Oscar Mabuyane were nominated for deputy, while Ramaphosa and NEC member Zweli Mkhize will go headto-head to be president of the party.

Analyst Lukhanyo Vangqa said: “There are those in the ANC who pushed the logic that the zebra method only applied to provincial and national executive committees, and not the top six. This is an incorrect interpretation of the ANC constitution … there must be 50/50 gender parity.

“They do this because they want to preserve the top-six position for themselves as men.”

Political analyst Professor André Duvenage asked: “Why are women selecting men for positions and not women? This is against the policy of the ANC, but the reality is there is a leadership crisis of women in ANC.”

soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za

Cape Argus