Finance Minister Trevor Manuel features strongly on the ANC's candidate list, released to the media by ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe in Kempton Park on Wednesday.

There were no surprises at the top with ANC president Jacob Zuma and his party deputy Kgalema Motlanthe in the first two slots, with ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete third on the list.

The candidates will represent the party in parliament.

Serving ministers who also appear on the list were not guaranteed the same positions after the election, as with premiers appearing on the party's provincial lists, Mantashe said.

Manuel featured at number four followed by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at five.

Madikizela-Mandela was forced to quit as an MP and president of the ANC Women's League in 2003 but still has a strong following in the party.

In July 2004, she had a five-year sentence for fraud and theft reduced on appeal to three-and-a-half years for 43 convictions for fraud.

The sentence was suspended for five years and she never went to prison.

"We knew that there would be a lot of interest in Winnie so we did look into her case.

"The first thing is the legislation is silent on suspended sentences... we had to go to lawyers and said give us a legal opinion, they say there will be no legal reason to exclude her," Mantashe said.

"... she's a grassroots person, she does that better than many of us in the ANC and therefore that work is demanded by those in the ANC to continue."

There was a strong chance that Motlanthe would take up the deputy presidency of the country.

Mantashe said it was reasonable to assume that the deputy president of the ANC, a position occupied by Motlanthe at present, would be the deputy president of the country.

"Once you are the deputy president of the ANC the expectation, which is a reasonable expectation, is that you are going to be the deputy president of the country.... if that must change... there must be a compelling reason to do that," he said.

Former health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was number 25 while the wife of convicted fraudster Tony Yengeni, Lumka Yengeni, was at number 38.

Former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka does not feature at all in the party's top 100 list. Reports indicate that she was being wooed by the Congress of the People to join the breakaway party.

The top 50 names on the list presented by Mantashe would not change. However there may be minor changes to the balance.

All those on the list had accepted their nominations, said Mantashe.

The party would release its provincial lists by late afternoon on
Thursday.

SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande was 9th on the list while deputy Jeremy Cronin was number 33.

Businessman Tokyo Sexwale rounds off his return to politics in the top 50 of the ruling party list at number 31.