With decades of leadership in the trenches, the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) is turning up the heat, boldly calling for South Africa’s next president to be a woman.

The league’s National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Boitumelo Moiloa told the crowd at the memorial lecture, in honour of the late ANC stalwart Gertrude Shope, in Pretoria over the weekend, that they were searching for a female leader.

South Africa nearly had a female president when Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma lost the ANC leadership race to President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2017-her defeat effectively ended that possibility.

Another missed opportunity arose in 2008 following former President Thabo Mbeki’s resignation, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was bypassed by Parliament amid political controversy tied to her husband’s role in prosecuting Jacob Zuma.

She later became the first female Deputy President, served as Executive Director of UN Women (2013-2021) and continued to champion gender equality globally.

During the lecture, ANC deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane, said women in the party should be given a fair opportunity to lead metropolitan municipalities as mayors and not only as speakers.

Mokonyane used Shope as an example of how women particularly in the ANC should be in the leadership role.

“To make women, to be honest, like Ma Shope in defending and speaking truth to power within the ANC to also decide that you can lead the ANC yourselves.

“This is also to decide that we shall have mayors and not speakers only in the coming local government elections… le rona re batho,” she said.

ANC veteran and former International Relations Minister, Naledi Pandor, described Shope as a true, committed and fearless leader who dedicated her life to women’s rights, equality and freedom. She also championed the country’s freedom.

Pandor emphasised that Shope never pursued fame or financial gain-only the freedom of her people—while reflecting on her crucial participation in the historic 1956 Women’s March.

She went on to say that even while Shope was well aware of the present government’s flaws, she remained unwavering in her dedication to accountability and upholding human dignity.

Meanwhile, last year, IOL reported that Pandor regretted declining the nomination for deputy president that was offered at the 54th ANC conference at NASREC in 2017.

She was picked by then Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to be his running mate in the ANC presidential race. This move was seen as pressure on Ramaphosa to adhere to the gender equality policy of his party.

Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu and Dlamini-Zuma campaigned for the presidency against Ramaphosa, however, Pandor declined the nomination, and the late former Deputy President, David Mabuza, was elected to the position.

“We had Dlamini-Zuma, but we have also had Sisulu and I was nominated but in the end I declined and I now regret doing that but anyway,” she said.

The topic of having a female president is still a debate and many including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are in support of having a woman leading the country.

The ANCWL further urged young women to wake up and carry Shope’s legacy forward, stating that women were key drivers of society and must continue shaping Africa’s development agenda.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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