The ANC Women's League leadership is accused of bullying its members into supporting Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as their presidential candidate.
This is according to a member of the regional executive committee (REC) of the league in Johannesburg, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The REC member made the remarks on the sidelines of a secret meeting held in one of the southern suburbs of Johannesburg, where some delegates attending the ANC policy conference appealed to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete to enter the party's leadership race.
Mbete attended the meeting on Monday night in Mondeor.
The REC member said that other structures of the women's league were not in support of Dlamini-Zuma.
"The ANC Women's League has never decided who should be the president, but in principle we agree that we need a woman president," said the member.
The meeting comes after Mbete had previously indicated that there were some structures of the party asking her to enter the succession battle.
Buda Tsotetsi, an ANC member from the Sedibeng region and one of Mbete's lobbyists, said Mbete indicated that she was available after being approached by a number of ANC structures.
"She is considering to accept nomination when the official processes of nominations come," Tsotetsi said.
ANC leadership nominations are only due to start officially in September.