ANC presidential hopeful Lindiwe Sisulu will criss-cross the province as she hits the campaign trail this weekend.
Sisulu will deliver a memorial lecture to celebrate struggle stalwart Lilian Ngoyi, the first woman to make the cut for the ANC national executive committee (NEC), in Tamara in Peddie on Saturday.
After wrapping up her campaign in Tamara, Sisulu is expected to attend another memorial lecture of another struggle activist, Ivy Gcina, in Gqeberha on the same day.
Organisers of the Gqeberha event said they had seen fit to invite Sisulu because she had been part of Gcina’s life at some stage.
The ANC NEC member and tourism minister confirmed in August that she would avail herself if she were to be nominated for the top job.
However, the province last Sunday officially endorsed president Cyril Ramaphosa’s second-term bid ahead of the national elective conference in December.
According to the audited membership figures, the province will be represented by 684 delegates at the conference, becoming the second province with the biggest delegation after KwaZulu-Natal’s 877 delegates.
A total of 4,250 delegates will carry the hopes of all nine provinces.
Tamara’s Ernest Dyalvan branch chair Phumlani Mdolomba said his branch could nominate any presidential candidate — a major boost for Sisulu’s bid.
“The nominations are open and everyone is allowed to campaign everywhere, as long as they don’t dent the image of other politicians or the organisation,” Mdolomba said.
The branch will nominate its preferred candidates on Thursday.
Mdolomba said the branch had resolved during its pre-branch general meeting (BGM) that it would throw its weight behind women and youth for leadership positions.
He said if Sisulu availed herself for the presidential race, she would have to unpack her plans for community upliftment.
“We don’t want leaders who are all about self-enrichment,” Mdolomba said.
Asked why they were open to giving other candidates a chance while the province had already pronounced, he said the provincial leadership should not decide for branches.
He said the branches, and not the province, were nominating their preferred candidates.
“There has not yet been a single nomination BGM, but the province has already decided to endorse,” Mdolomba said.
He insisted the province could not impose leaders on branches.
“We are all equal members of the ANC. My R20 [membership fee] is equal to that of NEC members. Let the branches decide and then the province will pronounce,” Mdolomba said.
“They should have waited and see who’s going to make the threshold before endorsing leaders.”
Mdolomba said Sisulu would meet ImiDushane traditional leaders and would discuss developmental issues in line with the national rural tourism strategy.
He said they hoped the minister could help boost the local economy through bungee jumping and fish farming.
“We’re hoping that ImiDushane will get funding for a community project from her department,” Mdolomba said.
The community will also explore the possibility of establishing an ImiDushane Heritage Route to revive their traditions and customs.
“After 1994, we moved away from our cultural activities and followed the Western culture. As the ANC in this ward, we are trying to restore the dignity of Africans,” Mdolomba said.
“We don’t expect her to commit R10m or whatever, we are hoping that she will send officials to conduct research and then decide on the role she can play to develop our area.
“She will work closely with the traditional leaders, but as the ANC we will be observing.
“This is not about ANC members only, we don’t do it politically, we want the entire community to benefit because some people are not ANC members.”
On Sunday, Sisulu will enter the lion’s den when she heads to KwaZulu-Natal, the home of the two other presidential candidates and fellow NEC members, former health minister Zweli Mkhize and Cogta minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
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