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- The ANC in the Western Cape have finally elected new leadership, announced in the early hours of Sunday.
- The party in the province had been without provincial leadership for over six years.
- Vuyiso JJ Tyhalisisu is the man at the helm of leading the party in the Western Cape.
After a hiatus of not having a provincial leadership, the ANC in the Western Cape have finally elected a new leadership structure.
The ANC in the Western Cape was the only province still led by an interim provincial committee.
However, the man to now lead the ANC in the Western Cape was announced in the early hours of Sunday as Vuyiso JJ Tyhalisisu, who beat the party's leader in the Western Cape legislature, Cameron Dugmore, by 29 votes.
Tyhalisisu was nominated from the floor on Saturday evening after Lerumo Kalako, his ally, declined the nomination.
News24 reported recently that the conference was expected to be dominated by a faction known as the Rurals for Change led by Kalako, who was the provincial convenor, and the highly influential Neville Delport, who was his second-in-command.
Delport told News24, at the time, that Rurals for Change had the support of more than 90% of the rural branches. He was elected as secretary.
The other person who was a contender for the chairperson's position was Section 194 chairperson Qubudile Richard Dyantyi.
He, however, did not meet the threshold to be on the ballot, and even when he was once again nominated from the floor, did not get sufficient support to be elected.
READ| 'You're fighting for positions while DA cruising in Western Cape' - Mbalula hits out at ANC leaders
Meanwhile, other names from the Rural for Change that got overwhelming support are Sharon Davids, elected as the deputy chairperson, and Ayanda Bans, the deputy secretary.
While all four other positions were contested, Derek Appel was the only name nominated unopposed, for the treasurer position.
At the opening of the conference on Saturday, several speakers who were giving messages of support had urged delegates to vote with their conscience and to elect leaders who they would be proud of when they campaign for people to vote for the ANC.
Nompumelelo Hani, from the Western Cape Veterans League, told the over 600 delegates: "I'm pleading to the delegates: do not vote for the sake of voting, do not vote because you were given money, imali izophela [money will run out] and the ANC ayizophela [the ANC will remain]," she said.
ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, who gave the keynote address at the opening of the conference, criticised members of the ANC in the Western Cape for being too pre-occupied with wanting to be elected into positions instead of being an active opposition and holding the DA accountable in the only province where the ANC is the opposition.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to close the conference on Sunday.
