'No problems in province'

James Ngculu, the Western Cape chairman of the ANC, has vehemently denied there is a split in the party's provincial leadership and says talk of one is "stale".

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday as the ANC prepared for its 94th anniversary celebrations, to be held at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday, Ngculu asked: "Where is the split? There is no substantiation for this, only speculation. Our strong view is that there is no problem in the Western Cape."

Despite previous heated public spats suggesting that the party is divided between those who support former provincial leader Ebrahim Rasool and those who favour Ngculu and provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha, the provincial chair said the only challenge facing the Western Cape was its preparations for the March 1 local government elections.

The ANC's national deputy secretary general, Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele, said that the decision to hold the party's anniversary celebrations in Cape Town had nothing to do with a rift in the province's leadership.

"We are not looking at any splits, but rather at the normal challenges of a growing organisation," she said.

She said the celebrations - which coincide with the launch of the ANC's local government election campaign - were being held in Cape Town in recognition of the province's strategic role in the liberation struggle.

Suspended ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma is also to attend the celebrations - at which ANC president Thabo Mbeki is to unveil the party's election manifesto and deliver the ANC national executive's annual January 8 statement of priorities.

Zuma, who is facing a charge of rape and is to be tried later this year on corruption charges, has been barred from speaking as ANC deputy president for the duration of the investigations and trial.

Mthembi-Mahanyele said: "I don't think there is any contradiction (between this position and) and Comrade Zuma's participation in the local government (election campaign).

"When there is an election campaign, all members of the ANC, whether you are an official or not, have to participate. So Comrade Zuma will participate in the local government (election campaign)."

The nature of his participation would be decided by Zuma and ANC secretary general Kgalema Montlanthe.

Zuma would, however, have to honour the conditions of his suspension.

"(He) needs to prepare for his ... trial, so we are not rationing what he can do or say."

Mthembi-Mahanyele declined to give an estimate of the ANC's budget for the local government election campaign.

She also played down suggestions of a rift in the ANC-Cosatu alliance.

"We differ (from Cosatu) in strategy and tactics, but we meet regularly with our alliance partners on a national level."

Ngculu said: "We are doing work to ensure that we mould and weld the alliance in the Western Cape. We will win the election only if the alliance works together."

Skwatsha said the ANC's local government election lists would be finalised by January 10.

"We are confident our lists have met the ANC's criteria in every respect, including gender."

Mthembi-Mahanyele said: "We are confident that we will win the Western Cape. We have been running the (Cape Town) metro well. The ANC is the movement that can face up to the challenges and we will win decisively and confidently."

The DA's acting leader, Joe Seremane, said the news that Zuma would take part in the ANC's election campaign confirmed that the ANC had thrown away its moral compass.

Mbeki had pressed for corruption in municipalities to be rooted out and had condemned the "self-seeking spirit" in the ANC.

"Given that Zuma is facing serious corruption charges, which have cost him his position as deputy president (of the country), the decision to allow him to campaign is entirely hypocritical," Seremane said.

It also raised questions about how seriously the ANC leadership regarded the rape charge that Zuma faced *1.

*1  Just a fraction more seriously than the corruption charges that he faces.

Remember, corruption other than at municipal level is not much cause for concern by some among us - other than fishing for its perpetrators seems to cause severe irritation by some among us and a more or less instantaneous charge  to the laptop and digital soapbox.