Tokyo Sexwale Throws Hat In Presidential Race 3
The Sunday Times headline story is reporting that former Premier of Gauteng, and now high powered businessman (and reality TV star) Tokyo Sexwale has supposedly made it known to high ups in the ANC that he is in the running for the presidency of the ANC, and therefore the presidency of the country.
While I’m sure Sexwale would’t be the worst president ever I don’t think he has much of a chance of being elected. Firstly he is not a member of the ANC NEC and if the ANC were to elect a business leader as leader I’m pretty sure Cyril Ramaphosa (who is a member of the ANC NEC, and not so much a TV glory hound as Sexwale seems to be) would be their first choice. Secondly his position (along with Ramaphosa but probably slightly more so) as the face of BEE fuelled corporate excess will probably not endear him to the COSATU/SACP branch of the tri-partite alliance.
Update: As expected, Sexwale denies presidential ambitions. Until the ANC changes the way it elects leadership these reports of someone making their candidacy known and their almost immediate denial will occur with increasing frequency.
Which leaves us with … Tito Mboweni?
There are still a few candidates out there. Masouia Lekota for one is still around, as are Manuel and a variety of others.
Well, Tokyo doesn’t appear to be interested after all. You know what’s so annoying? The way we all assume that the ANC will be voted into power yet again in 2009. Two years is a lo-o-ng time in politics!