ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has confirmed that the party will not announce its premier candidates until after the elections.
Mbalula said the Western Cape will be the only exception to the ANC rule because the party does not govern in that province.
He said like it has been the case previously, the president’s face will appear on the ballot instead of premier candidates.
Mbalula added that the Western Cape wants to stop the DA from turning the Western Cape into an independent country following the Provincial Powers Bill launched by the DA last year.
Mbalula was addressing members of the media on Thursday following the outcomes of the recent ANC NEC meeting at the Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, this week.
“Premiers are not announced by the president, but by the ANC, and the ANC has taken a decision that it will not announce its premier candidates until after the elections. We are not compelled to announce our candidates like the opposition political parties have done.
“ANC as the incumbent is the one being challenged by opposition political parties who have announced their candidates. As the ANC we do not attach significance in the faces of premiers. ANC is the face which is why we have one poster which has the president. The only exception will be the Western Cape, because we are not in government in the Western Cape,” Mbalula said.
In December, Independent Media reported that the ANC had asked its structures to nominate two women out of the three candidates for the position of premier in each of the nine provinces.
On the Step Aside rule, Mbalula said the party was refining it, with the help of the Integrity Commission currently reviewing and refining this rule, adding that nothing has changed on the rule except tabling of guidelines to the committee.
“The Step Aside rule has not changed but the NEC has tabled guidelines to the rule and those ANC members who are doing work for the ANC, it is up to them and their structures to work with the organisation. The guidelines are guiding us on this matter as many ANC members have been disciplined but when called upon, have availed themselves to the work of the party.
“We will continuously assess the rule and what it means as it only speaks to those with position, and says nothing about members who do not occupy positions,” he said.
Mbalula said the country’s case at the ICJ is a victory for South Africa and the people of Palestine adding that the party is aware of those seeking to punish South Africa over this principled position.
“Furthermore, we reject attempts to characterise our work as that which is a proxy for Hamas or any other nation state. This work is consistent with our ethos to engender a better Africa and a better world,” he said.