Nomvula Mokonyane says ANC is ready for a female president and would stand if nominated
ANC's first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane says the party is ready for a female president and confirms she would stand for the position if nominated ahead of the 2027 elections.
Image: ANC/ X
The ANC's first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane says the party is more than ready for a female president, and she is prepared to stand should her name be put forward ahead of the 2027 elections.
In an interview with TimesLIVE, Mokonyane said the African National Congress remains a deeply conservative organisation, where patriarchy is still entrenched and often reinforced by divisions among women themselves.
“The ANC is a very conservative organisation. Patriarchy works stronger when women are used against one another,” she said.
She agreed with recent comments by Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, who criticised the lack of support among women in the ANC. Mokonyane said the issue of women’s leadership is often manipulated by individuals, including women, who are not genuinely committed to the advancement of other women.
“They will sneak in, because they are the right tool to be used by men against others. That’s our problem,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Mokonyane believes it is possible, and necessary, for a woman to lead the ANC. She recalled the 1991 national conference, the first after the ANC’s unbanning, where women lobbied one another and succeeded in pushing for a 30% quota for female representation in leadership.
“We walked in there, being part of the ANC, and we left that conference with a 30% representation of women. It took Madiba to ask the conference to listen to women,” she said, crediting the efforts of leaders such as Barbara Masekela, Emma Mashinini, and Albertina Sisulu.
“If we were able to realise those goals, then why must it be difficult to have a woman president now?”
Mokonyane said the question should no longer be whether the ANC is ready for a woman president, but rather that women are eligible and should be supported.
“We’ve had the ANC led by six men, or five men and one woman. I’m a proponent of women taking over the ANC. Whether you are alone, make your voice known. Don’t be a Trump adjutant, and don’t see the problem when it is your opportunity. Remain consistent on it.”
Asked directly whether she would stand for ANC president, Mokonyane responded without hesitation: “Yes.”
“If the ANC structures are calling for someone to stand, and that person is eligible in line with the ANC constitution, why must you stop that person?” she said. “Even if there are six women contesting for president, nothing stops that.”
She emphasised that women have always been ready to lead, highlighting their historic role in the liberation struggle.
“Women took up arms in Umkhonto weSizwe. Albertina Sisulu took care of the underground structures here at home. Women died for this organisation. So why must somebody still be asking, ‘Are women ready?’”
“The ANC is very conservative, I’m part of it, and it’s a reflection of our society. Every time it’s about a woman, there has to be justification. But when it’s a man, whether he knows the East from the West, it’s immaterial.”
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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