ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Ronald Lamola says the party’s leadership is in desperate need of a generational mix, particularly as it prepares for one of its most important events this year.
The ANC’s elective conference is scheduled to get underway in December, during which a new leadership will be voted for. The conference is quite significant as it will determine whether ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa could bag another term. It isn’t yet clear who will go up against Ramaphosa for the top post, but reports have said that fellow NEC members Zweli Mkhize and Lindiwe Sisulu intend throwing their names in.
The ANC has long been preaching about including more young people as well as women in its ranks – and Ronad Lamola has even hinted at being interested in a top six post himself. Lamola is one of the few younger NEC members in the ANC and currently serves as Justice and Correctional Services minister.
Lamola was in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, on Saturday, 30 April 2022, delivering the O.R Tambo Memorial Lecture. Speaking to SABC News, Lamola wouldn’t shed more light on his possible leadership ambitions.
“The ANC, in all its structures, does need generational mix it. It does need a youthful organisation to infuse energy and also to infuse a new direction that is also what the generation of Tambo did (when) they came from the youth league the generation of Mandela and many generations of youth leagues, that is what must also happen in the national conference. There must be a generational mix for the ANC to remain relevant. (It) must infuse young people.”
ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Ronald Lamola