Johannesburg -- THE battle for the top seat in the ANC will take centre stage today at the Nasrec Expo Centre, where more than 4 000 delegates will decide who will lead the governing party for the next five years.
Early on Sunday morning, delegates concluded the nomination processes, which left Dr Zweli Mkhize and President Cyril Ramaphosa competing for the top job.
Political analyst Fikile Vilakazi said this year’s elective conference was nerve-wracking because it could go either way in terms of the incoming leadership of the party.
As of Saturday night, there were reports that certain provinces had turned their backs on Ramaphosa and were rallying behind Mkhize.
Tensions during the delivery of the political report by Ramaphosa were also an indication that there was great resistance against his coming back for a certain term, with some chanting slogans of change.
Those who were calling for change felt that the Ramaphosa administration had failed to secure the country’s power grid and that the economy had failed to ensure unemployment for young people.
Divisions in the party were also a factor.
"Those who support President Cyril Ramaphosa are convinced that he is going to get a second term no matter what happens. There is silence from the camp of Treasurer General Paul Mashatile, and it’s really nerve-wrecking because it leaves the two slates to battle it out, and that’s where we are," Vilakazi said.
Vilakazi said the elective conference was a defining moment for South Africa. He said whoever is elected as the ANC’s new president will change the course of history and set the country's agenda for the next five years.
"This is something that affects all South Africans. We can only hope that the politicians realise this," she said.
It was unclear how the power balance would shift, but analysts predict that all of President Ramaphosa's opponents will band together to form a power bloc.
The Star