Cyril Ramaphosa is bigger than the ANC, says party head of elections

Cyril Ramaphosa is bigger than the ANC, says party head of elections

The ANC’s head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, says the party’s internal polls show that Ramaphosa is still more popular than the ruling party itself.

Ntuli told the Mail & Guardian that Ramaphosa is still polling better than all other party presidents, including Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema.

NO OBVIOUS ALTERNATIVE AT LEADERSHP LEVEL: NTULI

“If you look at the polls that have gone on, which we’ve seen throughout the year, and last year, the president was polling slightly above the ANC as an organisation. I don’t know what will be the situation in the poll we are expecting now,” he said.

Ntuli said while the polling suggests a level of unhappiness with the ANC’s performance, it also shows that there is no obvious alternative, at the leadership level, to that provided by the ANC.

RAMAPHOSA’S POPULARITY AN ADVANTAGE FOR ANC

“I do think that that on its own becomes an advantage for the ANC, that our own leader is polling better than the rest of the leaders in the country. I think that’s an advantageous platform for us to campaign in the elections,” he said.

An external poll by the Social Research Foundation last November suggested that former president Thabo Mbeki was more popular in the party than Ramaphosa. Mbeki scored 70% with ANC supporters, while DA supporters scored 45% and EFF supporters 53%. Ramaphosa scored 68% from ANC supporters, 27% from DA supporters and 33% from EFF supporters.

ANC TO LAUNCH MANIFESTO IN DURBAN ON SATURDAY

The ANC’s manifesto launch will test Ramaphosa’s popularity in KwaZulu-Natal, where he has struggled to gain favour due to former party president Jacob Zuma’s ominous presence.

Ntuli said the ANC’s top brass, including Ramaphosa, will be stationed in KwaZulu-Natal this week, where the party will deliver its manifesto at the Moses Mabhida stadium on Saturday.

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