As the ANC elective conference build-up for December is underway, members of the party’s Women’s League are calling for a female president.
Ward 30 ANC WL secretary Nothemba Klassen said women have the capacity but are often overlooked. “We have the capacity as women, the problem is that we undermine that capacity. We always think that women cannot do anything but that is not true. Even in our homes, women are managers of everything, they do things that men cannot do. Why do we think we cannot manage the country? I think it’s high time we get a woman to lead this country, we are capable of doing that,” said Klaas.
Another ANC WL branch leader Pinky Ngoyi said: “It is our wish to have a woman as our leader, women’s capacity is not recognised. Even at workplaces you still find out the majority of managers are males. If you look at the duties they do it doesn’t really need someone to use energy but just to think and run a department. I think Mzansi is ripe and ready for a female leader,” she said.
SANCO’s regional chairperson Connie August also said women must lead and she believes that a women leader will tackle problems such as gender-based violence.
Meanwhile, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who lost to the current ANC President in the previous elective conference said she is ready to try again. Dlamini-Zuma who was a speaker at the Heritage Month event in Cape Town on Monday 12 September said she was open to running for the presidency if nominated.
“Our constitution says there must be equality in the country, the constitution of the ANC says the same thing, so equality means women should be in all areas of human endeavour, including being president of the country and ANC,” she said.
She however said her running for the presidency will depend on the branches.
“In the ANC you don’t stand up and say you’re available, the branches ask you, can we nominate you, we want to nominate you, and some have said so and asked me if they nominate me will I be available? Yes, I will be available,” she said.
