Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe would not comment on a call by the Gauteng African National Congress (ANC) for him to lead the party, his office said on Monday.

"We are not going to comment, as the deputy president is following due process," Motlanthe's spokesperson Thabo Masebe said.

"We won't be able to speak to any calls on preferred candidates until the nomination process is finalised."

Gauteng ANC chairperson Paul Mashatile said on Sunday that the provincial executive committee (PEC) would back Motlanthe at the party's conference in Mangaung.

"As this PEC we have been calling for the renewal of the ANC change in leadership," Mashatile said at the special provincial general council in Johannesburg.

In addition to supporting Motlanthe for ANC president, the PEC also named Febe Potgieter for the position of deputy secretary general and Mashatile as treasurer general.

While the Gauteng PEC was unanimous in its recommendations for those positions, it was split on the rest of the top six.

The PEC recommended both Tokyo Sexwale and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for deputy president, Joel Netshitenzhe and Gwede Mantashe for secretary general, and Thandi Modise and Naledi Pandor for national chairperson.