Surprise candidates make it for nominations from the floor

Delegates to the ANC's 55th national conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, are on Sunday morning casting votes for candidates to fill the seven positions in the party's top echelons. 

The voting takes place hours after a night of long knives and drama on Saturday as the nomination process was marred by disruptions that dragged it well into early Sunday morning as factions went toe to toe inside the plenary session.

For the position of president of the party, incumbent party leader Cyril Ramaphosa, who is seeking a second term in office, is facing contest from former health minister Zweli Mkhize. At least 4,426 delegates were expected to cast their votes from 9am. 

The nominations followed plenary agreeing on the constitutional amendment for the position of two deputy secretary-generals for the first time.

Mkhize's name received loud cheers inside plenary. His supporters clashed with security guards after ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe told a group of delegates who were raising a series of points of order to sit down.

The nomination process turned into a battle of songs between Mkhize's group of supporters and Ramaphosa's backers who tried to out-sing each other. 

For the deputy president of the party, ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane and justice minister Ronald Lamola were confirmed as contenders.

Outgoing chair Mantashe is nominated on Ramaphosa’s slate to be re-elected into the position which is contested by Limpopo ANC chairperson Stan Mathabatha and deputy finance minister David Masondo. 

For the ANC secretary-general (SG) position are former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, transport minister Fikile Mbalula and deputy public enterprises minister Phumulo Masualle.

The position of SG has been vacant since 2021 following the suspension of Ace Magasule .

ANC head of organising Nomvula Mokonyane and Tina Joemat-Pettersson will battle it out for the position of first deputy secretary-general. 

Joemat-Pettersson's name was raised from the floor, receiving support from the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.

For second deputy secretary-general, ANC Women’s League co-ordinator Maropene Ramokgopa and Ronalda Nalumango from the Western Cape were nominated from the floor. 

For the position of treasurer-general, party spokesperson Pule Mabe, Ramaphosa adviser Bejani Chauke, ANC Ekurhuleni chair Mzwandile Masina and Gwen Ramokgopa are all nominated and will be on the ballot.

There were surprises too inside plenary as tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who was nominated from the floor for TG, accepted nomination but failed to meet the threshold to be on the ballot. Candidates needed 25% of the total delegates to meet the threshold.

Other notable moments were when David Mabuza and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma both declined nomination from the floor for the positions of deputy president and president respectively.

Ramaphosa and Mkhize supporters held caucuses ahead of Sunday morning's vote. The clandestine meetings held after nominations were concluded were led by Eastern Cape provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi and KZN chairperson Sboniso Duma.