Cape Town - While the ANC is mum on its postponement of the announcement of its Western Cape premier candidate, sources within the party say it’s a political strategy to dissuade ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula from jumping the gun, and to allow volunteers to focus on the door-to-door campaign for now.
There has been uncertainty and speculation as to who the party’s Western Cape premier candidate will be. International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor was proposed as the premier candidate along with ANC provincial spokesperson Khalid Sayed and Ayanda Bans, who is number one on the party’s Western Cape list.
As voters and party members await this announcement, the party released a media alert on Monday saying it would host a media briefing yesterday where Mbalula was to announce the party’s provincial candidate.
However, in an about-turn, the party released another statement in the evening saying that the briefing had been postponed.
Asked about the postponement, ANC national communications manager Martina Della Togna said: “It was just a matter of logistical challenges. We will communicate the next date via media alert.”
An ANC insider said Mbalula was advised to cancel the announcement as it would not work in the best interests of party members and voters in the province, as it was likely to cause divisions in the party ahead of the elections.
“Announcing the premier candidates of the ANC has in the past caused leadership battles, especially in the Western Cape. We want to avoid that. That is why Mbalula was advised to delay the announcement until the time is right.”
Gao Nodoba, political analyst and head of the professional communication unit at UCT, said traditionally the ANC had not announced a premier candidate for all the provinces, and rather waited until the outcome of the elections.
“The dilly-dallying and/or delaying tactics of the ANC to announce its premier candidate for the Western Cape aren’t surprising. The party is in disarray. It’s a party in panic mode; it is also riddled with factions following Jacob Zuma’s departure from the party.
“The ANC is now behaving in the tradition of past elections, where they would announce their premier candidate after the outcome of each national and provincial election,” Nodoba said.
Meanwhile, the Al-Jama-ah party has announced Professor Muhammed Haron, the son of the slain anti-apartheid activist Imam Abdullah Haron, as its premier candidate in the Western Cape. Announcing this on its 17th anniversary, the party said of Professor Haron: “His visionary leadership is another common trait the professor shares with his iconic father, martyr Imam Abdullah Haron.
“Exercising sterling leadership in a principled, thoughtful, and adept manner, the professor’s profound humility and gentle manner immediately win over the hearts of fellow stalwarts and those who look to him for leadership.”
Cape Argus