Despite having set her hopes on the presidency of the ANC, Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu is prepared to settle for deputy president of the party, Business Day reported.
The ANC goes to its national elective conference this weekend, and the front-runners for the presidency are current Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Other candidates like Zweli Mkhize and Sisulu have been left trailing behind them.
But Sisulu reportedly received the highest number of nominations for deputy president from Gauteng, the Western Cape, the Northern Cape and Limpopo.
Sisulu told Business Day that this was an indication that the branches wanted her back on Ramaphosa's slate as deputy – a slate she distanced herself from because his campaigners allegedly included her on the slate without consulting her.
Ramaphosa announced his preferred candidate for the deputy presidency, Naledi Pandor, after talks with Sisulu broke down. But Sisulu is prepared to bury the hatchet.
"I felt very offended because it literally de-campaigned me. But as soon as the idea landed on people's minds, it seemed like the most natural choice... and who am I to say no," she reportedly said.
Sisulu received the support of the Military Veterans in the Western Cape on Sunday, in a province where the ANC has formally backed Ramaphosa for president, News24 reported.
She has campaigned around returning to the ANC's roots, rooting out corruption and education.
According to Times Live, she recently remarked on social media: "We need to get back to the basics. Back to basics means we listen to our branches‚ to the men and women that make this ANC great. Back to basics as we put people before money‚ people before protocol‚ people before politics. It's a MUST! #Sisulu17"