The Eastern Cape ANC faction that lost the provincial leadership race to the incumbent faction are pushing for public enterprises deputy minister Phumulo Masualle to be elected secretary-general at the party's national conference in December.

Teris Ntutu, who lost the provincial secretary position to Lulama Ngcukaitobi, backed by Babalo Madikizela who contested for chair but was defeated by Oscar Mabuyane, said they would push for Masualle and negotiate with their allies in other provinces to support him.

Among the provinces they are lobbying are Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

In KZN, some within the Zweli Mkhize camp have warmed to the idea, while Masualle's supporters hope Gauteng will do the same, as this faction has thrown its weight behind Paul Mashatile for deputy president.

“We want comrade Phumulo Masualle to become the secretary-general of the ANC in December,” Ntutu, who is also Amathole regional secretary, told TimesLIVE.

“In the same breath, we are clear that comrade Paul Mashatile must be elected deputy president of the ANC and we will talk to comrades in other provinces to support us.”

Masualle is the former premier and provincial chair who, like Madikizela, lost to Mabuyane in 2017 in the now infamous “festival of chairs” conference.

He serves in the ANC national executive committee as an additional member elected at the December 2017 Nasrec conference.

Ntutu said Masualle has “more to offer”, given his experience in the ANC and government and his “clean image”, which they hope is fitting for the governing party’s “renewal” project.

Masualle was not available for comment.

ANC Gauteng provincial secretary TK Nciza said discussions and nominations within the province’s branches about preferred national leaders are ongoing and will be announced in due course.

TimesLIVE