The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State held a long-awaited leadership conference over the weekend, where they announced their new leadership team. The conference was held amidst controversy and mixed reactions from the delegates.
Mxolisi Dukwana, former Free State ANC Interim Provincial Committee convenor, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the ANC in the Free State. Dukwana defeated Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela by 40 votes in the long-delayed conference.
Ketso Makume will be Dukwana’s Deputy Chairperson and Poleliso Motsoeneng is the new Provincial Secretary. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to close the conference on Sunday. This marks a clean sweep for Dukwana’s slate, as his allies also came out on top in the rest of the top five positions.
This victory is significant as it marks a shift in power dynamics within the ANC in the Free State, as Dukwana’s win is a defeat for Ntombela and her ally, former Provincial Chairperson Ace Magashule.
The new leadership team marks a defeat for the former Deputy Convener and current Premier of the Free State, Sisi Ntombela. This also means that Ntombela missed out on the opportunity of becoming the first female to hold the position of Chairperson of the ANC at the provincial level in the history of the party.
The conference also saw heated debates and tensions arising from the adoption of credentials, with delegates raising concerns about the legitimacy of the process. The Interim Provincial Executive Committee (IEC) faced criticism for the handling of these issues, with some delegates alleging that their microphones were closed when they tried to raise concerns.
