Publications
Partners
Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s campaign got a shot in the arm in Mpumalanga after a fast-growing non-governmental organisation resolved to influence branches to nominate her.
The organisation, Practical and Radical Economic Transformation of South Africa (also known as Pret SA), has been pressuring big industries in the province to offer job opportunities and tenders to the youth.
Pret SA is disliked in various ANC circles and is sparking confusion because it has Premier David Mabuza’s ear. ANC branches claim that Pret SA has taken over, and they have been left with a very insignificant role to play in societal issues.
Pret SA’s president, Themba Sigudla, is close to Premier David Mabuza and they have been sharing platforms recently, where Pret SA has either been marching against big business or making unemployed youths’ voices heard in service delivery protests.
Three weeks ago, Mabuza instructed provincial treasury MEC Eric Kholwane to collaborate with Pret SA to help the youth in the Nkomazi sub-region to register companies so that they could benefit from government procurement.
This happened during a community meeting following service delivery protests that had engulfed most parts of Nkomazi.
Pret SA shot to prominence when its members booed and chased away Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane in Middelburg in June, as he tried to present the recently unveiled Mining Charter, which ups the percentage of black ownership to 30%.
They said he could not address the meeting in Mabuza’s absence.
Pret SA surprised ANC branches this week when it wrote a letter to its members urging them to actively take part in branch general meetings and influence them to nominate Dlamini-Zuma as ANC president and Mabuza as deputy president.
The letter written by the organisation’s secretary-general, Sunday Mathebula, to the organisation’s chief generals on October 25 says: “This entity has been endorsed by the honourable premier of the Mpumalanga provincial government Mr DD Mabuza as a social partner to assist government in the plight against poverty, unemployment and inequalities.”
The letter says that Pret SA members were instructed to make sure that they are ANC members and participate in branch general meetings.
The letter said: “You are instructed to do the following. Inform and request both active ANC and Pret SA members to nominate the honourable Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as the new president and honourable DD Mabuza as the new deputy president of South Africa,” reads the letter.”
Sigudla confirmed that his organisation had issued the directive to its members.
“Dlamini-Zuma is, like us, talking about radical economic transformation hence we decided to support her. The number of unemployed youth is escalating … we have more than a million jobless young men and women in our database”, Sigudla said.
Pret SA’s involvement in the presidential battle does not, however, mean that Mabuza has jettisoned his unity project, which is discouraging branches from nominating individuals and aims for an uncontested elective conference where branches will reach a consensus on new leaders.
An insider in Mabuza’s unity project said that ANC structures in Mpumalanga still stood firm on unity.
“We’re not supporting any faction nor do we have our own faction. The focus is to elect delegates who are mandated to lead and seek unity, negotiate a united representative top six and national executive committee that will win back the trust of society and ANC members”, he said.
“We’re nominating unity instead of NDZ17 [Dlamini-Zuma] faction that has Mabuza as deputy president or CR17 [Ramaphosa] that has placed Mabuza as number 43 in the national executive committee. We will pursue the unity discussion with voting delegates at conference. Power lies with the delegates,” he added.
Provincial ANC secretary, Mandla Ndlovu, said the party was unperturbed by Pret SA’s decision and was still committed to unity.
“Branches believe there’s a window period to allow comrades to discuss. It’s unfortunate when people have interest in the ANC conference. People participate in branches as ANC members whether they’re in the SACP, Cosatu or Pret SA,” Ndlovu said.
Meanwhile, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaigners believe that most branches had abandoned the unity project and were nominating him.
A Ramaphosa campaign team core member said: “CR17 is leading in this province and we are raking in nominations. The figures we get are promising and CR17 is leading this province.”
