Rumours of Patrice Motsepe running for ANC President leaves members 'struggling' - Tshidi Madia

702's Bongani Bingwa speaks to political analyst Tshidi Madia.

Listen below:

Rumours of Patrice Motsepe’s possible entry into the ANC's presidential race have jolted the party's establishment. Chief among them is Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.

Motsepe has not confirmed his interest, but some view this prospect with cautious optimism.

Members within the ANC are 'struggling' with 'President Motsepe' becoming a reality, but they also 'can't stomach the idea of President Mbalula', reports Madia. 

"Fikile Mbalula... said, 'Running a political party is not running a football club.' He said that if Patrice Motsepe is actually interested, he must make himself known in essence and that he must be present in the branches of the organisation... Yes, they use his money, because he is a well-known donor of the ANC, but he must make himself known, he said."

- Tshidi Madia, Politics Editor - EWN

"I think he [Fikile Mbalula] also has to be fair to Patrice Motsepe in that he's constantly been present in the movement for years on end... but the question he does ask is that we don't even know if he's a branch member... Fikile Mbalula is said to have ambitions, so if this becomes a third name versus Fikile Mbalula and Paul Mashatile... People, I suspect, might want to lean towards a Patrice Motsepe, but we still don't know if he's interested..."

- Tshidi Madia, Politics Editor - EWN

"People within the ANC are struggling with saying 'President Mashatile', but they also can't stomach the idea of 'President Mbalula'."

- Tshidi Madia, Politics Editor - EWN

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