President Cyril Ramaphosa, while campaigning in Cape Town over the weekend, addressed the buzz around Khalid Sayed’s candidacy for the premier of the Western Cape. Despite Sayed being a favored choice, his nomination has encountered internal resistance, leading to a delay in the official announcement.
Ramaphosa explained that the hesitancy around confirming the provincial flag-bearer was due to objections within the party. Unlike other provinces, the ANC traditionally announces premier and mayoral candidates post-election, maintaining a consistent approach across the board.
Community Engagement in Rylands
The president’s visit to the Rylands community in Cape Town highlighted local urgency for leadership announcements. Residents pressed Ramaphosa for an immediate declaration of the premier candidate to bolster voter confidence ahead of the national and provincial elections scheduled for May 29.
“Our normal practice as the ANC is never to declare a candidate premier anywhere in the entire republic for a whole host of reasons, political as well as organisational,” Ramaphosa asserted.
He continued to elucidate on the party’s standard procedure:
“When the president is elected at our national conference, he or she is automatically the candidate of the ANC to be president of the republic. Without any doubt or question, that has always been broadly accepted and decided as the position.”
A Shift in Strategy for the Western Cape
Acknowledging the unique political landscape of the Western Cape, Ramaphosa revealed a strategic pivot. The ANC, sensing an opportunity to reclaim the province, has chosen to deviate from its usual practice by naming a premier candidate ahead of the forthcoming elections.
“Realising that we could have a chance to take this province back to the ANC, we felt that in order to boost our campaign in the Western Cape we should deviate from normal practice and nominate a premier candidate and announce it ahead of the election,” explained Ramaphosa.
This decision followed comprehensive discussions and a robust endorsement process within the party structures.
“We then engaged in a consultation process. The Provincial Executive Committee discussed the matter, and having done so, it also recommended a name. Soon after the name was recommended, the NWC approved the name,” Ramaphosa detailed.
Despite this, the announcement was met with a mix of support and opposition, reflecting the diverse perspectives within the party.
“We had a flurry before the announcement was even made; we had a flurry of views objecting, and this, I am telling you, as the position ensued, we had a flurry of different views that came to the fore,” he recounted.
Final Stages of Consultation
The discussions, which continued into the previous Monday, were indicative of the ANC’s commitment to unity and thorough deliberation.
“The secretary-general had been in a very broad consultation with a number of those organisations, and I should say quite a number of premier organisations, really outstanding organisations, supported the view that had been put forward,” said Ramaphosa.
He emphasized the party’s intent to foster cohesion through comprehensive dialogue.
“We want to unite rather than divide. We want the various views that are articulated to be heard and processed. And so that when we take a final decision, proper consultation and proper discussions will have taken place. That is how we operate,” Ramaphosa explained.
As the ANC moves forward, the focus remains on finalizing the consultation process, aiming for a consensus that supports the party’s aspirations and addresses the electorate’s expectations in the Western Cape.
