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Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has expressed concern about the character of some of the ANC delegates attending the conference at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, as well as the state of the ruling party.
The hostility by some of the delegates towards the party’s leadership on day one of the conference pointed to the extent of the divisions and infighting within the party, some have said. Kubayi said the first day of the conference was especially tough for the leadership.
She bemoaned the disrespect that was shown to the party’s former secretary-general and now head of the electoral committee, Kgalema Motlanthe, by some of the delegates.
“Perhaps this notion of a political school has not been entrenched in the manner that it should be. We were saying we might have to enforce some modules that people must attend before they become delegates to a conference because their behaviour impacts the image of the organisation. If they don’t know the organisation the way they should, we should be worried about how are they influencing the decisions of the ANC.”
Kubayi, who has leadership ambitions within the ANC, mounted a spirited campaign for a slot in the now top seven leadership of the ruling party but didn’t make the nomination threshold. She says she may have been a victim of the new electoral system within the party as members are not yet accustomed to it.
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“We had a new system of conducting elections that branches were not used to, so going at it alone without being supported by any provincial leadership or provincial structure was challenging because branches tend to listen to the leadership. So, it was good we got the numbers we received. It shows that over time, branches will get used to moving away from the mandate. You could see provinces were defying leaders.”
The minister maintained that her campaign was not premature despite a lack of funding being her biggest hurdle that eventually crippled it.
“Secondly, as a younger generation, we needed to raise our hands, so people don’t have an excuse not to vote for us. Thirdly, it was to disrupt the status quo and we have done that; the conservative ANC needs to change.”
Kubayi added she had spent around R500 000 of her own money for the campaign and some of those who supported her also forked out from their pockets.
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“I am seen as conservative; I have never been in business. I am a minister, so no resources. I am a pure public representative and even when I reached out to businesses, there was doubt about a woman and the organisation being able to support women.
“You also find that other business people have had long-term business relationships and won't support you. Forget about money being exchanged in the room, just for you to have people who will canvass for you; crisscrossing the country needs money for transport and accommodation. Without resources, you can’t do that,” she concluded.
