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Youth League, Women's League back Premier Lucas to replace jailed Block as ANC chair

───   05:27 Wed, 08 Feb 2017

Youth League, Women's League back Premier Lucas to replace jailed Block as ANC chair | News Article
Sylvia Lucas, premier of the Northern Cape/OFM News

Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League in the Northern Cape says it will back Premier Sylvia Lucas to become chairperson of the province and replace John Block.


Provincial ANC secretary Zamani Saul, who is also running for the position, was accused of manipulating the electoral processes ahead of the provincial elective conference.


Saul could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.


The ANC Women’s League in the province nominated Lucas at its provincial executive committee meeting on Monday.


Youth League provincial secretary Neo Maneng told News24 that they initially wanted to maintain the current leadership, but had changed their mind.


"We were of the view that the top four must be retained, but the attitude and insistence from the secretary side forced us to nominate the current premier to be the chair. We think she can unite us," Maneng said. The Northern Cape is holding its elective conference on March 8 to replace Block, who was provincial chairperson.


He resigned in October 2015 after he was found guilty of corruption and money laundering. On December 11 last year, he was sentenced to, in effect, 15 years in jail for money laundering and corruption. He is appealing the sentence.


The Northern Cape ANC is further divided over who will take over from President Jacob Zuma at the party’s national elective conference in December.


Saul angered the Women's League when he was quoted in last weekend's Sunday Times as saying that he would support Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.


The ANCWL in the province was expected to back the other front runner for the ANC presidency, outgoing AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The league said Saul had spoken out of turn and had no right to express personal views.


"It was not organisational because, as the secretary, he must communicate the decisions of the organisation. He is not entitled to personal views. He forfeited that when he was elected secretary," Maneng said.


The league said it would ask ANC leaders to intervene in the electoral processes. It accused Saul of excluding members from branch general meetings held to nominate candidates for the provincial congress.


-News24.com

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