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Cape Town – The ANC Women’s League has said it will lobby for a woman to succeed President Jacob Zuma – a move that is set to threaten Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political future.

According to the Sunday Independent, the ANCWL’s move emerged at the league’s national policy conference this weekend and one name already being touted as a possible candidate is that of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the AU Commission chairperson and ANC national executive committee member.

Although the ANC’s elective conference is still three years away, the succession debate is already raging with Ramaphosa succeeding Zuma being at the centre of this debate.

This comes after News24 reported in September that the ANCWL has stepped up its efforts to ensure that women emerge as leaders within the ruling party.

In a statement at the time, following an NEC meeting, the league said: “The ANC Women’s League remains convinced that no other political party in South Africa pays greater attention to the empowerment and emancipation of women than the African National Congress.”

The ANCWL said there was a setback in the advancement of women’s agenda with only one woman appointed as provincial premier out of a possible eight.

It welcomed the appointment of women as speakers and chairwomen of committees and to senior political positions.

The NEC said at the time it also welcomed the cabinet move of the women’s ministry into the presidency.

Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema yesterday received a hero’s welcome when he walked into the main hall of the University of Free State’s Bloemfontein campus, for the party’s first elective conference.

Delegates screamed, ululated, and whistled as he walked onto the stage wearing a red beret and overall.

The party was expected to elect its top six leaders at the event, with Malema likely to retain his position. The Economic Freedom Fighters’ leader later delivered the party’s political report.

Earlier delegates sang and danced, waved their hands and sang “Juju re ya lewena” translated as “Juju we are with you”. Juju is Malema’s nickname.

The party’s different regions each took turns to belt our their favourite songs and dance.

The hall was decorated with the EFF’s red, green, yellow and black colours. Delegates in red takkies, dresses, pants, and headgear, sang and danced to music, including the song Tshela thupa loosely translated as “the whipping or punishment is coming”, a popular song among EFF members. – Sapa