THE South African Communist Party denied yesterday that it was backing Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead the ANC.

Spokesman Alex Mashilo denounced media reports that the party supported the former miners’ union NUM leader, now a millionaire businessman, at December’s ANC elective conference in Guateng province.

Mr Mashilo reminded journalists of the party’s central committee statement of December 16, which insisted that all prospective ANC national office bearers should be vetted for their capacity “to avoid being factionalist and unite the ANC, the alliance and the historical support base of our liberation struggle.”

Whoever is elected as ANC leader would be all but sure to become the next national president of the country at the 2019 election, in which the Communist Party is considering standing candidates independently of its alliance partner.

On Tuesday, the “Stalwarts” group of ANC opponents to President Jacob Zuma repeated their demand for a “consultative conference.”

Leaders Frank Chikane, Sydney Mufamadi and Murphy Morobe told reporters the gathering — which would include non-ANC figures — must take place before the elective conference and midyear policy conference in order to shape their outcomes.

Mr Chikane said: “What happens at that conference will determine the direction the ANC will be taking.

“So there will be a parallel process leading to the national consultative conference and also loading some of the policy issues … like the manner in which leaders are elected both in government and in the party.”

The same day, ANC Gauteng province deputy chair David Makhura “strongly condemned” the circulation of “divisive” candidate slates.

Last Friday, the ANC Women’s League executive threw its weight behind the other mooted candidate, outgoing African Union commission president Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

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