Publication: Sunday Tribune Issued: Date: 2005-09-25 Reporter: Moshoeshoe Monare Reporter:

Fear-Filled Route to a New President

 

Publication 

Sunday Tribune
Date

2005-09-25

Reporter

 Moshoeshoe Monare

Web link

 

The battle over who will take over from President Thabo Mbeki is intensifying, and further polarising the ANC. At the centre of it all is fear, which - as Alan Paton once described it - "puts an end to understanding or the need to understand".

There is fear that the ANC under Mbeki has detached itself from grassroots voices whose aspirations are now purported to be better represented in the Communist Party and Cosatu.

On the other hand, there is fear that if Jacob Zuma takes over the ANC and the country, his will be a leadership motivated by vendetta, greed and narrow populism - and that the composition of his office and cabinet will reflect such perceived traits.

These fears - whether based on reality or conspiracy theories - have drowned out any reason or new-dimensional thinking, tainting every facet of the ANC's inside politics, including who will take charge of the ruling party.

Had it not been for these fears and the fact that the ANC's character has reverted to the exile days when contentious issues, due to security reasons and mistrust, were confined to an inner circle, the country would have already known who was to succeed Mbeki.

Nelson Mandela made it clear he preferred Cyril Ramaphosa, because no fears would have prevailed then.

As the SACP argued in its presentation to a recent alliance meeting, the direction and the new culture of marginalising voices have resulted in the kind of rebellion against Mbeki that was seen at the ANC's recent national general council. While Zuma miscalculated the effect of his implication in corruption, Mbeki miscalculated the impact of firing Zuma or bringing him to trial. He is also fighting for his political credibility in the ANC and his legacy.

Ultimately, control over the ANC's direction is embodied by who becomes the captain.

The latest to enter the fray is Joel Netshitenzhe, the government's key policy co-ordinator and communications chief, who argues that there is no principled decision suggesting that the ANC president, and later his deputy, should automatically become the president of the country.

However, he argues that the president of the country is nominated by the ANC's parliamentary representatives, who are guided by the ruling party's national executive committee.

His argument, on the ANC Youth League's online newsletter Hlomelang, stems from an earlier article by the league's president, Fikile Mbalula, suggesting that the president of the ANC must become the president of the country to avoid friction between two centres of power.

Both Mbalula's and Netshitenzhe's arguments are linked to Mbeki's suggestion that he may consider standing as a candidate for the ANC presidency. Mbeki confirmed at last year's elections that he would abide by the constitution and not run for the country's presidency again, despite suggestions to the contrary from supporters.

Mbalula incorrectly argued that the deputy president of the ANC, by virtue of seniority, should become the president, translating that position into head of state - hence his fear that he would be remote-controlled by Mbeki from Luthuli House. He said this would create two centres of power.

But Netshitenzhe says the issue is not so much one about a preferred ANC presidential candidate - "It is rather about the principles that should guide our approach in addressing this critical question, and the timing in relation to the movement's internal processes.

"Also at issue is loyalty to the constitution of the ANC, which bars no ANC member in good standing who meets relevant criteria from availing him/herself as ANC presidential candidate, and which does not decree that a particular individual, by dint of some contrived 'tradition of the movement', should be ANC president," Netshitenzhe said.

With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare and the Sunday Independent.