The ruling party's Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, said in a statement that gender parity, unity and stability were some of the guidelines for how the NEC arrived at its decision.

Out of the three names that the NEC received from each of the eight provinces, the following were nominated:

• Eastern Cape – Oscar Mabuyane
• Free State – Sisi Ntombela
• Gauteng – David Makhura
• KwaZulu Natal – Sihle Zikalala
• Limpopo – Stan Mathabathe
• Mpumalanga – Refilwe Mtsweni
• Northern Cape - Zamani Saul

The statement said that the decision for the North West premier candidate would be announced “in due course following internal engagements”.

"The NEC further agreed that in provinces where Premiers are men, then at least 60% of the Provincial Executive must be constituted by women. 

"There was consensus that in instances where the premier is a female there shall be at least 50-50 representation in the provincial executive,” Magashule said.

He said that speakers in all provinces would be women regardless of the premier’s gender and that youth representation would also be a consideration.

The NEC again thanked all its structures, volunteers as well as its alliance partners for their support and work during the campaigns and the elections.

Magashule said the ANC would “undergo a process of self-introspection and assessment of its election campaign”.

African News Agency (ANA)