ANCWL Statement on reports that SA is not ready for a female President

The African National Congress Women's League has noted the distortion by some sections of the media of the comments made by the Officials of the ANC Women's League with regard to South Africa's readiness for a female president (see M&G Online report).

There is absolutely no truth in the reports that the ANC Women's League has said SA is not ready to have a female President. Answering a question from a journalist why on the ANCWL cannot put forward a female President NOW, the African National Congress Women's League responded to say that the ANC candidate for South African President for 2014  General Elections had been concluded at the ANC's 53rd National Conference in Mangaung with the election of Comrade Jacob Zuma as President of the ANC.

In line with ANC practices, any candidate that would be elected as President of the ANC, thus the organization's candidate for President of the Republic, would need to come from the dynamic and robust processes of internal democracy within the ANC which takes place at set intervals, the last being the recent 53rd National Conference, as per the Constitution of the African National Congress.

The African National Congress Women's League takes extreme pride in the strides that have been made by the ANC and the ANC government in the quest to create a non-sexist society. Moving from an almost zero base in 1994, the ANCWL has been at the forefront of driving and delivering significant victories for gender equality.

The ANCWL has full confidence in the ability of its membership and women in general to lead in all endeavours of life including governance as has been demonstrated through the many public representatives including two female Deputy Presidents that the organisation has produced.

It would be in direct contravention and antithetical to our long-waged struggle and hard-won victories on gender equality to ever discount the possibility of a female cadre ascending to the highest office within the organisation.

What the ANCWL shall not do is to be populist in driving this agenda but would achieve such an eventuality not only as women but as members of the ANC working in a disciplined manner within structures of the organisation with all members.

Statement issued by Nosipho Dorothy Ntwanambi, ANC Women's League Deputy President, October 8 2013

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter