Johannesburg – ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini has given the strongest indication yet that the league might support the extension of ANC president Jacob Zuma’s term as party leader.
Loyalists of the ANC’s three provincial chairpersons and premiers – the Free State’s Ace Magashule, North West’s Supra Mahumapelo and Mpumalanga’s David Mabuza – are reportedly planning to table a proposal at the party’s national general council (NGC) this week to extend Zuma’s term by two years.
The alleged proposal for Zuma to serve a third term has received support from the newly established ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leadership.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ANCWL’s consultative forum seeking a mandate before the NGC in Joburg, Dlamini said on Tuesday that the league had neither discussed Zuma’s third-term bid nor had it been lobbied by the ANCYL.
But she said when the right time came, “we will discuss the matter”. “There’s nothing in the constitution of the ANC that talks about the terms of the ANC president,” she said.
“It is in the constitution (where terms are limited), but we also want to be very fair and try to ensure the ANC becomes a stronger organisation.
“We’re going through the process of reviewing the performance of the present executive committee.”
Part of what the league would be discussing, Dlamini said, would be positions of premiers, chairpersons of the ANC, secretaries and deputy presidents. “We’re going to be discussing all of these in terms of the performance of the ANC in putting women in decision-making positions.
Dlamini lashed out at the labelling of the trio of Mabuza, Magashule and Mahumapelo as the “premier league” that wanted to control the ANC.
“The people who are called the premier league are chairpersons of provinces, and ANC structures have always had their own preferences and discussions, and they are lobbied all the time,” she said.
“Even the previous (ANCWL) president (Angie Motshekga) lobbied some of the chairpersons of provinces while we were having a conference. If people don’t support you, they mustn’t be labelled. They must be taken as members of ANC.”
Ironically, the league is also steadfast in its resolve that the time has come for a female president of the ANC and the country. The league would be using various strategies within the party to advance that.
Dlamini said that at the NGC, the league would be pushing for the 50/50 representation of women premiers even if provinces would be reduced as per proposals in the NGC’s discussion documents. The league would also demand 50 percent women premiers, even if women were not elected provincial chairpersons.
“We’re going to look at representation of women in decision-making bodies and with the ANC. The constitution says at least 50 percent of women and more should be in the decision-making structures of the party,” she said. “We’re ready and the time has come for structures of the ANC to discuss the leadership of the party and also include women.”
