More women on ANC poll list

ANC candidate lists for the local government elections boast more women’s names than men’s - but this took “serious intervention” from party leaders. However, the gender target of 50 percent was not met in KwaZulu-Natal, and lists for North West and the Eastern Cape have yet to be finalised.

The party has also yet to decide whether it will keep the names of its mayoral candidates under wraps until after the May 18 polls. ANC names being mentioned so far for the metros are all those of men.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe stressed on Sunday that when it came to mayors, “being on top of the list or serving in senior regional or provincial structures of the organisation does not determine whether a candidate becomes a mayor”.

Discussions about the pending local government elections dominated at the party’s national executive committee on Friday and Saturday, when the meeting was extended to include alliance partners the SACP, and Cosatu, as well as the SA National Civic Organisation and ANC provincial and regional leaders.

But while Mantashe said the party was “on track in our preparations”, he acknowledged challenges, including bitter disputes in the Eastern Cape, which have led to litigation and suspensions.

“The NEC has mandated the national list committee and the national working committee (NWC) to deal with outstanding issues in the Eastern Cape and in North West.

“While defending two court cases in the Eastern Cape, we categorically state that those who have taken the ANC to court and destroyed ANC property have been suspended,” Mantashe said.

Meanwhile, the party’s top six officials are in Cape Town today to deal with appeals lodged against the outcome of its Western Cape conference, which saw former provincial MEC, now Deputy International Relations and Co-operation Minister, Marius Fransman, elected as chairman.

“We are happy that the ANC candidates list process has been largely influenced by the views of our people on the ground and - where necessary - there was political intervention to uphold the principles of our movement,” said Mantashe.

In a bid to ensure greater credibility and legitimacy of its local government candidates, the ANC, for the first time, opened up its selection process to allow communities a greater say on who should be nominated. But the process has in some areas sparked disputes and even the formation of parallel structures.

Key considerations for candidate selection included a 50 percent gender balance, continuity – through retaining experienced councillors on lists - and generational mix, by nominating younger candidates.

Mantashe said in Joburg on Sunday there had been some “serious intervention” by the party’s national leadership to ensure half the party’s candidates were women.

In Gauteng, for instance, branches had nominated only 41 percent women as ward candidates, but after the NEC tweaked proportional representation lists, the province emerged with a total of 51.6 percent female candidates.

The Eastern Cape and North West have been given until Wednesday to finalise their lists.

Mantashe warned that ANC members “seeking positions in our movement by taking the ANC to court” should realise “that when joining the ANC, you are submitting yourself to the ANC constitution, principles, policies and values”

. - Political Bureau