ANC Elective Conference: Ramaphosa Says Project to Unite ANC Has Failed As Announcement of New Top 7 Looms

• South Africans have been sitting at the edge of their seats, anxious to know who the new leaders of the African National Congress will be
• The 55th ANC elective conference has shown the nation just how deep the cracks in the ruling party run
• President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted that the project he embarked upon to unite the ANC five years ago has all but failed

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) is expected to reveal the names of the top seven candidates elected through the 55th national elective conference on Monday, 19 December. However, as the announcement looms, President Cyril Ramaphosa has conceded that his project to unite the ANC has failed.

President Ramaphosa told delegates that despite efforts over the last five years to sow unity and cohesion within the ANC, the party remained divided.

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Both Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza touched on the divisions in the ruling party while addressing delegates in separate rooms.

According to SNL24, Mabuza noted that party divisions were driving away voters and turning the ANC into a movement that would be shunned in urban areas and only relevant in rural areas.

Regardless of the factional battles and infighting within the governing party, ANC delegates spent most of the fourth day of the conference voting for new leadership. The top seven are expected to lead the ANC into the general elections in 2024.

Former health minister Zweli Mkhize and President Cyril Ramaphosa are going head-to-head for the position of president of the African National Congress, EWN reported.

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South Africans weigh in on the ANC's 55th elective conference

Citizens took to social media to weigh in on the outcomes of the elective conference.

Below are some reactions:

@1KarlMarxis joked:

"It's Zweli Mkhize or Cyril Ramaphosa today these ANC fools will know which money took conference. Digital Vibe or Ankole dollars."

@antonyaltbeker commented:

"There are always penalties at the end of the ANC conference. And society always loses. They don't have any good penalty-takers."

@Manaba__k speculated:

"The ANC planning the Nasrec conference on the same day as the final to distract us is a stroke of genius."

David Mabuza bows out of ANC leadership while Ramaphosa is still ahead of Mkhize in the presidential race

In another story, Briefly News reported that all eyes are on the ongoing ANC conference that has been marred with controversy and drama since its commencement. A lot of changes are expected to be made to the party structures, and one of the biggest ones is that Deputy President David Mabuza will no longer be in the ANC leadership.

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This comes after reports that Mabuza refused to run for office again after being nominated by the floor.

TimesLIVE reports that Mabuza declined the nomination after he was nominated from the floor. After many back and forths and nominations, current Eastern Cape chair Oscar Mabuyane, outgoing treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and justice Ronald Lamola are now in the running for deputy president.

Source: Briefly News