South Africa's former health minister wants to lead the ANC

South Africa's former health minister, Zweli Mkhize, is the main contender to run against scandal-plagued President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead the ANC.

The party in power since the end of apartheid 30 years ago meets next week to decide who will lead the country in the 2024 general election.

"I have received a nomination which means that there are members who felt that I should be considered, but from where I sit, I think that we need to bring a different style of leadership. We need to bring a leadership that will focus on implementation and that's been my strength,....ensuring collective leadership that unites people and therefore I want to have an impact of uniting the African National Congress (ANC)", said Zweli Mkhize, ANC and National Executive Committee (NEC) Member.

The 66year-old doctor by training and former minister feels that his experience make him ideally placed to respond to challenges on the ground.

"I think the experience in implementation and running a successful government where we've been fighting corruption, ensuring efficiency and good governance, promotion of professional leadership, that has been very very important, so that's what I will be bringing", advanced the former health minister. 

The candidate believes that investing in technical skills is key to achieving energy security throughout the country. 

"Energy security is a fundamental issue that will drive economic growth and industrialisation, so we need to balance, firstly, dealing with the skills, technical skills needed to turn around Eskom and stop this load-shedding and the interruption of the electricity supply", concluded Zweli Mkhize.

The ANC's branch in the strategic Zulu province of KwaZulu-Natal, which has the largest number of delegates, has given Zweli Mkhize massive support in the run-up to the ANC conference, which opens on 16 December.