Willem Phungula|Published 1 day ago
Some ANC branches are behind Tokyo Sexwale and not Patrice Motsepe in the discussion over who will take over the party presidency when Cyril Ramaphosa steps down at the party’s elective conference next year.
Sexwale’s name has emerged in some quarters amid the ANC’s consistent condemnation of campaigning ahead of this year’s local government elections.
An ANC member in KwaZulu-Natal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there are informal engagements spearheaded by ANC veterans league members who are already comparing Motsepe and Tokyo’s political credentials.
The source said the group concluded that instead of Motsepe, Sexwale should be the preferred candidate to replace Ramaphosa as Sexwale has better credentials and qualifies for the position based on the party’s ‘Through the Eye of the Needle’ (choosing the best candidates to lead transformation) framework.
A leaked document that has been prepared for internal discussion, gave a detailed struggle and administrative profile of Sexwale, in motivation for the top position.
“This document motivates for the consideration of Tokyo Sexwale as a suitable candidate for the presidency of the African National Congress, guided by the leadership principles outlined in Through the Eye of the Needle. His profile reflects a rare combination of struggle credentials, governance experience, ethical standing, and strategic insight required to lead the movement at a critical juncture,” reads the memo.
It further outlined Sexwale’s liberation struggle credentials and commitment, arguing that Sexwale is a trained cadre of Umkhonto we Sizwe and a former political prisoner on Robben Island, where he served a sentence alongside stalwarts such as Nelson Mandela.
“These credentials affirm his lifelong commitment, discipline, and sacrifice for the ideals of the ANC, meeting the document’s emphasis on proven dedication to the struggle.”
Furthermore, the document touts Sexwale’s leadership and governance experience, arguing that he has held senior leadership roles, including Premier of Gauteng and national Minister of Human Settlements.
“His track record demonstrates political maturity, administrative capability, and the ability to manage complex governance environments which are key requirements outlined in the ANC’s leadership criteria.”
The document also describes Sexwale as a ‘man of integrity and ethical standing’, arguing that this ‘positions him as a credible figure capable of restoring confidence and reinforcing ethical leadership within both the ANC and the State’.
The ANC insider said both Motsepe and Sexwale are successful businessmen.
The Motsepe campaign (PM27) has been criticised as he does not have Struggle credentials and was never in exile during the Apartheid era.
The ANC’s national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu did not respond to a request for comment on the document, while Sexwale could not be reached for comment.
On Thursday, the ANC insisted that no campaigning to replace Ramaphosa should take place before the local government elections.
Speaking on the sidelines of the introduction of the new KwaZulu-Natal provincial and regional task teams on Wednesday, the party’s first Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane said the party does not recognise the Motsepe campaign, describing it as a campaign that has been created by the media.
“There is nothing in the ANC called the Motsepe campaign. We don’t have something called the Motsepe campaign nor do we have personality contests,. We have a process in the ANC that is internal that helps the members of the ANC decide on who must lead. The ANC is preoccupied with who is going to be candidates for local government elections,” said Mokonyane.
Motsepe’s campaign emerged last year and in September he denied having political ambitions, saying he did not need to be in politics to make his contributions to the country’s prosperity. He also said he would continue supporting all political parties through his Motsepe Foundation.
The campaign PM27-Savumelana recently launched its website and offices in Johannesburg.