The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape has criticised the ANC Women's League and other party structures which have made "premature" pronouncements on the looming succession race for ANC president.

Premature pronouncements, particularly those by the Women's League, were undermining "the integrity of the organisation and creating an atmosphere of anarchy", acting provincial chairperson Khaya Magaxa said on Monday.

The Women's League formally backed outgoing African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to succeed her ex-husband President Jacob Zuma last week.

"The Women's League leadership sits in the National Executive Committee of the ANC. Therefore, they form part of the decisions that are taken by the ANC at a national level.

"As provincial leadership, we expect all those serving at a national level to abide by the decision taken structurally. We don't expect those organisations to be part of the undermining of the procedures of the organisation.

"We feel very strongly that [the Women's League's pronouncement] is an undermining of the decisions as part of the ANC."

Magaxa was speaking following the branch's first Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting of the year over the weekend.

He said any pronouncements of support for one candidate or another should ideally come three months before the elective conference in December.

"As it stands now, nobody is allowed to make any pronouncement regarding the leadership of the ANC."

‘Capable leaders’

Provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said the party had discussed the issue of the succession race at the PEC meeting, but that the province was not ready to discuss the mooted candidates individually.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa declared in 2016 that he was "ready to lead" the party, while reports have been circulating that ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete is also interested in running for president.

"The ANC mustn't tear itself apart out of this process. There is a wealth of leadership that we have.

"All of those leaders who are currently being touted are capable leaders. What we can't have is this destructive campaign where we try to demotivate each other."

Jacobs said the last year was a significantly difficult one for the party, and the provincial branch wants a leader that can take it out of the current "quagmire".

"If we look in the mirror, the communities and the people have told the party they are not happy with the ANC. We need to regain the confidence of our communities.

"The ANC is taking a hard look at themselves. Yes there are challenges, but it is only the ANC that can bring the people of South Africa together. We have renewed hope. We shouldn't fight about leadership."

Magaxa finished by saying that they were not singling out the Women's League specifically, but that making pronouncements about preferred candidates before the process had been opened officially was not being sensitive to the need to unite the party.