Stofile set for second term as premier

ALICE -- Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile is assured of a second term after more than 900 delegates at the ANC provincial list conference here at the weekend unanimously nominated him as sole candidate for the post.

The election highlighted confidence in Mr Stofile by his comrades and party membership and the unquestionable support he commands in the province.

While the organisation's national executive committee (NEC) proposed that each province should submit three names from which ANC president Thabo Mbeki would choose premiers, the province was unanimous in naming only Mr Stofile.

His name appeared on the top of the nomination lists of all 13 regions of the organisation.

The idea to submit one name was proposed by Ms Ncumisa Kondlo, of Peddie's ANC branch, and moved by Mr Sicelo Ndevu, of Mdantsane's NU17 ANC, and then unanimously adopted by the conference.

Mr Stofile, formerly the party's chief whip in the National Assembly, was redeployed in 1997 to the province to replace former premier Raymond Mhlaba.

Since his arrival he has managed to unify ANC members in the province and bring stability to the party.

His nomination was not the only display of unity among delegates.

They also resolved their differences over the question of "magnets" and the role of the "eminent persons group (EPG)" appointed to serve in the provincial deployment committee.

Magnets are those nominated to the list because of their capacity to pull supporters to the organisation while the EPG is outsiders brought to lend some credence to the deployment process.

Following some heated debate and explanation from Mr Stofile, who is ANC provincial chairman, the question of magnets and the EPG was resolved and the ideas accepted.

There was general acceptance of the organisation's overall deployment strategy.

The conference mandated the provincial leadership to consolidate resolutions and reports of the three commissions which discussed cadre and other deployment strategies, the elections and the ANC vision beyond the elections, and send them to regions and branches later.

A new party list, prioritised according to the popularity of candidates to be deployed to the Provincial Legislature and National Assembly, will be released later after it has been scrutinised by the provincial executive and NEC.

It is understood that the NEC will not interfere with the first 25 percent candidates on the list, but the national list committee could intervene in the remaining names to ensure proper representation according to, among others, gender, age, race and geographically spread minority groups.