The campaign attracting lots of buzz on social networks wants to see both men leading and renewing the party.
A serious campaign influencing the views of branches while regions wait for audit reports in order to begin BGMs is called #NdlovuChirwa and is the grouping whose slogan is “independence, renewal and restoration” ahead of the province’s 13th congress.
The new campaign promises to bury Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane alive while also her female comrades in her Nkangala region had began to publicly turn against her, adding more salt to her wounds after the suspension of her key lobbyist eHlanzeni leader Ngrai Ngwenya in July 2019.
Acting chairman Mandla Ndlovu and Gert Sibande leader Muzi Chirwa are the faces of the ‘NdlovuChirwa’ campaign and their supporters also want Nkangala leader Speedy Mashilo as well as acting secretary Lindiwe Ntshalintshali to serve.
Ndlovu will be the chair, Chirwa the secretary and Mashilo will be Ndlovu’s deputy while Ntshalintshali will deputise Chirwa.
But this runs against Tsipane’s slate that wants her as chairwoman and Pat Ngomane as secretary with Sibusiso Sgudla punted as Tsipane’s deputy.
Mpumalanga will hold its 13th ANC provincial congress that will elect deputy president DD Mabuza’s successor from 6 to 8 December 2019.
Peter Nyoni could make it as PEC member while some of the lobbyists were looking at the position of treasurer for him, Vusi Shongwe or Mandla Msibi.
The Nkangala region is yet to sit and formally take a view on the provincial congress as is Gert Sibande. The disbanded eHlanzeni region will have to go to an elective conference first before they can have a view on the provincial one.
The past weekend ANC Nkangala secretary Leah Khoza addressed a gathering of women at the Lynville community hall together with Ntshalintshali and eMalahleni mayor Linah Malatjie to highlight the plight of violence faced by women and children in our society at the hands of men.
She said as women in the region they “would rather support a woman who has been there in our struggles” and “not those who are given a grand entrance to rise to power at the expense of other women”.
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She said they want more female leaders to swell all strategic positions the same way men do “but this thing of grand entrance to power… comrades we must fight against that, we can’t allow it,” she said to thunderous applause, from what those who were sitting understood to be a thinly veiled reference to Tsipane who was handpicked by Mabuza to succeed him as Premier last year.
“All of a sudden there’s a grand entrance of women and you expect that we must follow you. Grand entrance? You didn’t even feel the pain we are all feeling. They just pushed you to a position. No, comrades. Women must work hard and be committed and earn according to their commitments.
“Tomorrow we must be able to say ‘we saw that particular comrade, she has always been with us while we were in difficult situations and fought patriarchy with us, why not elect her today’,” said Khoza.
She said as women they would not allow the type of politics where their male comrades “feel we are their subordinates”.
“That if they want to exercise their manhood they must use us as if we are subjects, we will never allow that comrades and if he thinks he is equal to be a President I’m as equal to be a President,” she said.
“And we were not apologetic in Nasrec [for nominating NDZ] and we will continue to support women unapologetically but women must work hard in order for them to ascend to positions. They must be committed. This thing of grand entrance to power… we must fight against it comrades”.
(edited by ZK)
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