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ZUMA ALLY: Premier David Mabuza PHOTO: RIOT HLATSHWAYO

CONTENDER: Clifford Mkansi PHOTO: Andrew Hlongwane

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Mpumalanga will be in the spotlight this weekend when provincial chairman and premier David Mabuza battles it out for the province's top position against health MEC Clifford Mkansi.

The election is expected to be hotly contested given Mkansi's track-record.

He is a former secretary of the award-winning Sondelani branch at Thulamahashe outside Bushbuckridge.

Mabuza, on the other hand, has received overwhelming support during the ANC regional conferences.

"It must be borne in mind that the province's four regions have all put their weight behind Mabuza during regional conferences.

"But his re-election as provincial chairman could be difficult because Cosatu, the ANC Youth League and the SACP have already voiced their disapproval of him as leader," said a provincial executive committee member who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A win by Mabuza - a known Zuma ally - will be an indication of how the province will vote in Mangaung.

The conference will be held at Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium between Thursday and Sunday.

The other three provinces that are yet to go to their elective conferences include Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

This has to happen before the end of May following an instruction from the ANC national executive committee that all provinces must have had their conferences before the party's policy conference in June.

ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said: "Part of the directive was that all provinces must have completed their audits before June except for Limpopo and North West, which had their conferences last year."

Free State province's branches go to branch general meetings (BGM) this week.

"The party caucus this weekend decided to officially open nominations today where premier Ace Magashule's contender, if any, is poised to emerge," said ANC provincial spokesman William Bulwane.

Free State will hold its elective between May 25 and 27.

Independent political analyst Elvis Masoga yesterday said current developments favoured President Jacob Zuma to retain his position as party leader.

"It is a known fact that the four provinces have leaders who are known Zuma supporters. "It is only Limpopo and Northern Cape which are known to be 100% against Zuma.

"North West and Gauteng are divided while Western Cape was unpredictable.

"Remember, Zuma was recently booed by members of the youth league during his visit to the province," added Masoga yesterday.

Comments

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Thu May 23 06:48:20 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 3, 2012

TheNewFreedomFighter

What's the point? The one ANC cadre is just as corrupt as the next and just as incompetent. They're just chasing after the money, fast black cars and glory.

The ANC is morallay and intellectually bankrupt. They have nothing to offer SA having been driven into a state of ineffective limbo by their alliance partner's, their own uselessness and teh massive infighting that renders them all inwardly focussed.

A vote for the ANC is a vote for a failed state.
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Apr 3, 2012

MommaC

"premier David Mabuza battles it out for the province's top position against health MEC Clifford Mkansi."


Hobson's choice in Vrystaat and catch 22 in Mpumalanga.
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Apr 3, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

Good luck to the two men!
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Apr 3, 2012

skhokho21

Thenewfreedomfighter, this is an ANC matter why bother comment on it, go play on your beeld site, I am not voting for your DA, not now not ever.
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Apr 3, 2012

Raven

Eish ANC again.. if is not ANC ke Shower or his WIfes or rather WOLFS
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Apr 3, 2012

Vhamsanda

Poor Mkanzi, he may not be alive by the time of the conference.
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Apr 3, 2012

hulas

Battle for top ANC job
We want Zuma'
Meeting over league attacks on Zuma
Sowetan please give us a break every day nywe nywe about anc…if your reporters run out of stories …they must give us Sex stories they are far much than anc stories ,they also generate high volume of traffic to your site.


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Apr 3, 2012

JFK

I will campaign for Zuma to retaine the Presidency of the ANC beyond Mangaung , I do not have a problem with the Deputy President , I would like him to take over from Zuma after his second term
was over hoping that He would not hand pick his successor like Mbeki tried to do :

Viva Zuma Viva Zuma : Down with tenderprenuer : Malema :
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Apr 3, 2012

Bdoobs

They all are hyenas waiting for their feeding turns and of course others are fighting to feed longer, whether they win or loss the battle, the winner will feed, the loser will get the left over and I will watch and salivate while others will starve and d!e.
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Apr 3, 2012

swona

Mabuza's reign was a bloody one, the province needs someone peaceful as Mkansi, but the fact that he is from Thulamahashe might not go down well with some sections of our province, but might work in his favour for he was seen to attend to real issues thoughout the province not the lowveld alone!
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