Amos Masondo advocates for female leadership in the ANC

Co-convenor of the Gauteng Political Task Team, Amos Masondo, has indicated that sooner rather than later, the ANC might realise its first female ANC president.

Last week, the party in Johannesburg unveiled Loyiso Masuku as its first-ever Johannesburg regional chairperson following last week's regional conference.

Masuku's election as the first female chairperson comes as the party is saddled by the alleged behind-the-scenes succession talks, which have placed current National Assembly Speaker, Thoko Didiza, as a possible successor to President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2027.

Speaking on the sidelines of the party's 5th National General Council (NGC) meeting held in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, Masondo highlighted the importance of aligning the ANC's leadership structure with its policies on gender equity.

He posited that with women now taking critical leadership positions, the party is on the cusp of a profound transformation.

"I am quite happy that the new ground is being made with the recent election of the first female chairperson of the Greater Johannesburg region. We need to ensure that more and more women make it to the leadership positions," he stated.

While ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has stated that leadership and succession debates will not form part of the discussions at the NGC, talks of a post-Ramaphosa ANC have continued to swirl, as some ANC NEC members have been fingered in an alleged plot to oust Ramaphosa.

Early this year, Masondo, who is a former Joburg mayor, was appointed as the party's Gauteng convener following an electoral decline in last year’s general elections.

Part of his mandate, alongside Panyaza Lesufi as co-convenor, was to ensure that the reconfigured Gauteng leadership recovers electoral ground lost to opposition parties.

It is this mandate that has delivered Johannesburg's first female chairperson in Masuku, who has received support from the Youth League and the Women's League, among many other supporters.

Asked if he supports a female leader of the ANC following the election of Masuku, Masondo indicated that the party needs women leaders as it continues its renewal programme.

"We will sooner or later have a woman president. I think big changes are coming when it comes to this particular aspect. Nationally, there has been media speculation that Thoko Didiza could become the new ANC president. Namibia has done it, and Liberia has done it. It is a matter of time before this becomes a reality in the ANC," he said.

Masondo also touched on Gauteng’s strategic preparations to influence critical discussions at the NGC.

He highlighted the South African Communist Party's (SACP) recent decision to contest the 2026 local government elections as a key agenda item, alongside discussions on dual membership, which have sparked lively debate among party members.

"We have done a good job in preparing for the NGC. We briefed all our delegates ahead of the NGC. One of the issues we have prepared well for is the issue of dual membership and the SACP. This issue has been in the media for a long time, and the SACP has already contested some of the by-elections.

"Our approach to the SACP has been very accommodating and based on mutual respect. We have been together, and it does not mean that there would be no disagreements, but the spirit of these differences must be cordial," he said.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za