Paul Shipokosa Mashatile

The former Minister of Transport and contender for deputy president at the ANC's 2022 elective conference where he lost to Deputy President Paul Mashatile now becomes one of the most senior Ramaphosa allies in the GNU...

The second faction are those who see Deputy President Paul Mashatile as the next leader but are biding their time...

Ramaphosa will have to struggle to keep a grip on the party machinery and will need to hug Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Mines and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe who is also Chairman of the ANC extremely closely...

And Mbalula and Deputy President Paul Mashatile will be lining up to replace him along with party Chairman Gwede Mantashe who is seen as more sceptical about the coalition...

Lesufi is seen as a leader of the populist lobby in the ANC leadership which would like to see Deputy President Paul Mashatile take over from Ramaphosa as soon as possible after the May poll...

This would increase the chances of a populist coalition with the EFF under Deputy President Paul Mashatile who faces awkward questions about his personal finances...

Ramaphosa's view has been vigorously opposed by allies of Deputy President Paul Mashatile...

Paul Mashatile ANC deputy president said at the time that the then new formula for how public funding is allocated to parties and new rules to publicly declare funding to political parties and ceilings in donations combined with the fall in ANC support had plunged the party into financial crisis...

Fresh tensions have blown up within the ruling party after Deputy President Paul Mashatile appeared to pre-empt President Cyril Ramaphosa on the timing of the elections...

All this suggests that Deputy President Paul Mashatile is not guaranteed a return to Pretoria...

Ramaphosa is unenthusiastic about the ANC partnering with the EFF but his deputy Paul Mashatile backs the idea...