ITUMELENG MAFISA and NOXOLO MIYA
Johannesburg – Former water and sanitation minister, Gauteng premier, and member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC), Nomvula Mokonyane, said she would like to see a leader like her emerge from the ANC’s top six (now top seven) elections at the party’s 55th national conference at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.
Mokonyane and Fébé Potgieter-Gqubule are contesting for the positions of ANC deputy secretary-general. She said she was an example of what a disciplined leader of the ANC should be.
Responding to what makes the ANC the leader of society, Mokonyane said: “I am a leader that is organisational and one that does not think she is bigger than the organisation, and those that support me must not remain my people. They must remain people of the ANC.”
Mokonyane said she found the conference to be robust and dynamic despite some delegates disrupting the opening address of the party’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.
“I’ve not seen disunity, but rather a very dynamic conference, and holding different views doesn’t mean disunity. One of the strengths of the ANC has been the tolerance of diverse views, and I think what we’ve gone through is that we have become so intolerant of diverse views.”
Mokonyane said it was time for the ANC to take the considerations of the nation into account and not make the election of leaders the most critical part of the conference.
The ANC amended its rules at the conference to allow for the election of two deputy secretary-generals for the first time.
The party has seen the suspension of its secretary-general, Ace Magashule, which was followed by the death of its deputy secretary-general, Jessie Duarte, in July.
“The ANC conference must be about reposting ourselves and renewing ourselves, and committing ourselves to getting closer to our communities, on issues such as economic freedom and high levels of unemployment, and issues of gender-based violence, and a leadership that has an appetite to remain on the ground,” said Mokonyane.
The Star