Dlamini-Zuma not giving up on ANC presidency despite nomination list snub

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has not bowed out of the race for ANC presidency despite missing out on the top six nominations list.

Dlamini-Zuma is hoping for a second chance ahead of the ANC’s elective conference, which is set to take place from 16 to 20 December.

In a video shared on social media, the ANC national executive committee (NEC) member confirmed that she will be up against President Cyril Ramaphosa and former Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize.

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“Amandla comrades! I just want to say thank you very much for the hard work. We are still on the campaign for president of the ANC asijiki. It may not be easy, but it’s in our hands. Let’s go for it comrades,” she said.

Dlamini-Zuma was one of the prominent names that were missing from the ANC’s nomination list along with current Deputy President David Mabuza and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

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‘Non-sexist organisation’

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Dlamini-Zuma criticised the ANC’s failure to accept women in crucial positions.

She said she was of the view that the nominations process was regressive, as it lacked female candidates.

“If you recall in 2017, we had quite a number of women at least on the ballot. They were not elected but they were on the ballot.

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“This time if you look at these nominations… they won’t even be on the ballot. So we have done our best, but you can’t say I have done it and failed so I must relax now. We have to continue pushing until it happens,” she said.

“We as the ANC are a nonsexist organisation and we are trying to create a nonsexist society. Our constitution mandates us to create a nonsexist society and as the ANC we pride ourselves that we are the leaders of society, but the top structure of the ANC is the top.”

Dlamini-Zuma, who lost by 179 votes in 2017, also expressed disappointment at the ANC Women’s League, which backed Ramaphosa, for not nominating her.

‘Rules were bent’

This week, Sisulu accused the ANC’s election committee of bias, saying the process was rigged in Ramaphosa’s favour.

In a letter addressed to the committee, Sisulu claimed her name was excluded from the candidates who met the 25% threshold for the presidential race, even though her campaign team had information that she received enough branch nominations.

“This act makes the electoral committee culpable to unjust practices and renders its processes in the outcomes as [a] biased referee in that our competitors are unilaterally promoted at the expense of rules and the choice of branches who entrusted in us such nomination.

“It would appear the rules were bent or blatantly, if not, deliberately ignored to treat our candidacy at a disadvantage,” the letter reads.

The ANC’s electoral committee confirmed it received Sisulu’s letter and would be in touch with her campaign team.

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