One of the women leaders tipped for the ANC deputy post, human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi wants the December conference to change the party’s constitution to explicitly state that 50% of the top six leaders must be women.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday Times at her Pretoria home this week, Kubayi said the party had regressed in affirming women in top positions. In the recent regional conferences that took place across the country, only two women were elected regional chairpersons — Zandile Gumede in eThekwini and Ntombi Ngubane in Inkosi Bhambatha region in KZN.
“It is very concerning. Actually, it’s a regression from where we were,” she says.
“Even at the last conference in Nasrec, we moved from having two females in the top six to one (deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte).”
Kubayi dismisses suggestions that there is little or no appetite for women to take up powerful positions and not those of deputies.
“Look, I think it’s a conversation that we must to have as women because if you look at the composition of the structures, we are majority.
“Part of the conversation we need to have among we women is to say maybe it needs to change in the constitution of conference where we become prescriptive of the gender parity. That it’s not only about the entire structure that is 50% but also the quota in the top six. It can’t be in this day and age.”
She slams the question of capacity, which is often asked when a woman should be elected into a top position.
“There are some men who get elected yet they can’t even read a report. We’ve seen chairpersons of regions who can’t even talk, but when it’s a woman the question of capacity comes in ...”
Kubayi is one of many in contention for election as ANC deputy president. Other contenders include deputy president David Mabuza, justice minister Ronald Lamola, treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, former health minister Zweli Mkhize and defence minister Thandi Modise.
She said she was aware that some members had raised her name. She would not say whether she would accept nomination.
“I am humbled that people see a future president in me and I hope I continue to be an inspiration,” she said. “At the right time, I will respond,” she says confidently.
“I'm a member of the national executive committee, I can't be found to have been ill- disciplined, that I started a succession debate.”
Kubayi first became an MP in 2009 where she quickly rose through the ranks. She has built up experience with stints in several ministry positions including minerals and energy, communications, science and technology, health, tourism and human settlements.
Asked who she is outside these roles, she says, taking a deep breath: “I am a mother of two boys. They are 26 and five.”
There are some men who get elected yet they can’t even read a report. We’ve seen chairpersons of regions who can’t even talk, but when it’s a woman the question of capacity comes in
Her appointment as acting health minister was met with criticism due to not having a medical background like her predecessors. “Many people have said they didn’t think I'd pull it off, but I proved myself in a very short time.”
Kubayi recently succeeded finance minister Enoch Godongwana as head of the ANC subcommittee on economic transformation.
She is reluctant to go into detail on the Eskom woes and leadership crisis and carefully responds to the query.
“ ... When you judge a performance of a person, it's a holistic issue, you ... don't know what is the agreement with this person and the employer. So you could say, based on what I'm observing [as an outsider], is that this person is not performing but according to the contract, he could be performing.”
But she suggests public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan must, “as the political head, ensure we get out of this”.
“So it's a thin line [but] if there are nonperformance issues, the minister responsible will deal with that,” she said.
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