The province has put forward the name of businessman Cyril Ramaphosa for deputy president

The ANC in Mpumalanga has chosen President Jacob Zuma to head the party for another term, provincial secretary Lucky Ndinisa said on Monday.

The provincial executive committee resolved to nominate leadership “in touch with the people, accessible, and flexible”, he said in a statement.

The province has put forward the names of businessman Cyril Ramaphosa for deputy president and Jessie Duarte as deputy secretary general.

It favoured keeping Baleka Mbete as chairwoman and Gwede Mantashe as secretary general.

Ndinisa said the province supported KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize as treasurer general.

As part of the PEC’s task of providing guidance to the African National Congress branches in the province it had chosen leaders who satisfied the character of the party, understood ANC policy, and could apply it under all conditions, Ndinisa said.

The leadership it had chosen were “beyond reproach in political and social conduct” and “principled, firm, humble, and considerate”.

Branches in Mpumalanga would now debate the list and decide who to nominate.  

Following this process, the province would hold a nomination conference to decide on a final submission to the ANC’s National Electoral Commission, Ndinisa said.

Nominations for candidates for the ANC’s top leadership positions opened at the beginning of the month. The national elections will take place in Mangaung in December at the ANC’s national conference.

Mpumalanga will send 467 delegates out of the total of 4,103 delegates attending the conference.