Wyndham Hartley
7 July 2008
Cape Town — The battle within the Jacob Zuma faction of the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League has been won by Angie Motshekga in the fight for the presidency of the league.
Ironically, both Motshekga, the Gauteng education MEC, and her principal opponent in the election, outgoing league secretary-general Bathebile Dlamini, were instrumental in getting the league to support Zuma for the position of ANC president ahead of the Polokwane conference last December.
Motshekga replaces a staunch supporter of President Thabo Mbeki, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in the top job at the league, meaning that both the Women's League and the ANC Youth League are dominated by pro-Zuma forces. Mapisa-Nqakula was not nominated for re-election.
In a statement, the league said Motshekga had won with 1826 votes.
Nosiphiwo Mwambi was elected as the new deputy president, Sisisi Tolashe as secretary-general, Mpai Mogori as deputy secretary-general and Hlengiwe Mkhize as treasurer.
The rumoured nomination of former league president and struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela from the floor as a compromise candidate did not materialise.
Motshekga's victory at the weekend is expected to give her impetus ahead of next year's election.
She serves on the ANC's Gauteng executive and is believed to be one of the frontrunners for the position of Gauteng premier after the election. She is likely to fight it out with Gauteng chairman and finance MEC Paul Mashatile.
She said yesterday the league would do everything in its power to support Zuma in his legal woes.
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Nothing,nothing but politics and the further advancement of oneself not SA women, this is THE AGENDA.