It's too early to talk about who'll succeed Ramaphosa in ANC, says Mashatile
As Cyril Ramaphosa's second-in-command, Paul Mashatile is seen as Ramaphosa's natural successor, who has already served two terms as president.
Deputy ANC President Paul Mashatile at Luthuli House as the party marks 100 days of the GNU.
JOHANNESBURG - African National Congress (ANC) Deputy President Paul Mashatile said it's too early to talk about the succession of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
As Ramaphosa's second-in-command, Mashatile, is seen as the natural successor to Ramaphosa, who has already served two terms as president.
However, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is the ANC's biggest coalition partner in the Government of National Unity (GNU), has recently said it would be hesitant to work with an ANC run by Mashatile.
Speaking on the sidelines of an ANC event on Monday, Mashatile said that bridge would be crossed when and if he gets there.
"The [general elective] conference is in 2027, so it’s what, three years away. So, I am saying it’s too early to talk about who’s going to be president. Remember, at the moment, we are busy rebuilding branches.
"A lot of our branches are going to BGMs [branch general meetings], they are going to regional conferences, and they are going to have provincial conferences, and those are the people who will then start to say who they want to lead. So, I think we should not rush."