The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) is hoping to convince its mother body to correct the representation of its North West and Mpumalanga provincial executives to reflect the inclusion of women.
ANCWL secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba said the league was engaging with Luthuli House over the lack of inclusion of women in the executive council in the two provinces.
The league has in the past struggled to have the party adhere to its 50/50 policy on gender parity.
In Mpumalanga, Mandla Msibi was installed as the premier despite the ANC guidelines indicating that a sitting female premier must have the first option to be reinstated in the position.
Its former premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane was redeployed toparliament where she was elected as the chair of the national council of provinces.
The guidelines also state that in the event that a male premier is installed, the executive must be dominated by women, including the position of speaker with a 60/40 representation in favour of women.
However, both the North West and Mpumalanga premiers’ executive councils are dominated by male MECs.
Nqaba said the league attempted to have the ANC’s negotiating team have its coalition partners adhere to its 50/50 representation in government.
“They (coalition partners) have their own understanding on how we should prioritise issues of women in leadership deployed into strategic positions. We have tried, [we] went to media houses exploiting every opportunity that was possible for us to influence the process,” she said referring to the process of negotiating for a government of national unity.
She said while the league was concerned about the ANC’s coalition partners’ gender representation in parliament, it believes it was heard by the ANC.
“The outright majority that used to allow us to influence the process is no longer there. At least the ANC, outside the challenges, still respected the 50/50 approach.”
Lizeka Tandwa
www.timeslive.co.za
