Voting for the African National Congress (ANC) top six kicked off in the early hours of Monday morning, at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
“Voting for the #ANC National Officials has begun. #ANC54,” the governing party said at 12.27am on Twitter.
The delegates would be voting for the party’s president, deputy president, national chairperson, secretary general, deputy secretary general, and treasurer general.
There was confusion on Sunday evening, on whether voting would start later on Monday morning or would continue after outgoing secretary general Gwede Mantashe presented the Organisational Report in plenary and outgoing treasurer general Zweli Mkhize delivered the Financial Report.
Earlier on Sunday evening, the ANC communications informed journalists that voting would only take place on Monday, but after midnight informed journalists that the decision to postpone the voting until Monday morning was rescinded.
Taking to Twitter to inform South Africans that voting would resume, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula tweeted: “We voting tonite stay putttttt ….#HistoryBeckons (sic)” at 12.19am.
He later signalled that the delegated had started to voted by tweeting: “We voting for the top6 tonite #HistoryBeckons (sic)” at 12.23am.
On Sunday morning, the ANC conference delegates finally adopted credentials which paved the way for the nomination of leaders and voting. Earlier, ANC deputy secretary Jessie Duarte said it was not unusual to delay credentials.
The voting outcome can be expected on Monday, Duarte said.
Earlier on Sunday, Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma emerged as the only two candidates vying for ANC president.
Rampaphosa, the deputy president of the republic, received 1469 nominations from six provinces for president while Dlamini-Zuma, a former cabinet minister and African Union Commission chairwoman, received 1094 nominations, according to election officials.
Both accepted nominations. There were no nominations from the floor.
Zweli Mkhize, currently the party’s treasurer general, withdrew from the race for deputy president after receiving 193 branch nominations from one province.
David Mabuza was nominated by 1128 branch delegates from six provinces while Lindiwe Sisulu received 619 branch nominations from four provinces. Both accepted the nominations.
The position of national chairperson would be contested by Gwede Mantashe who received 1499 nominations from seven provinces, and Nathi Mthethwa who received 807 nominations from five provinces. Both accepted their nominations.
The secretary-general race will be run by Senzo Mchunu from KwaZulu-Natal who received 1479 nominations from seven provinces and Ace Magashule from the Free State who received 930 nominations from five provinces.
Jessie Duarte is standing for reelection at deputy secretary general after receiving 845 branch nominations from seven provinces. She will go up against Zingiswa Losi, the deputy president of the alliance partner, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, who received 361 nominations from three provinces. Two other candidates declined the nomination.
Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane withdrew from the race for treasurer general. Paul Mashatile, who received 1581 nominations from seven provinces will now go up against Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South Africa’s international relations minister, who received 275 nominations from four provinces.
– African News Agency (ANA)
