Publication	Cape Argus
Date	2005-12-30
Reporter	Staff Reporter
Web Link	www.capeargus.co.za

Defying the ANC, its deputy president, Jacob Zuma, will continue to fly the flag of the party as he criss-crosses the country campaigning "vigorously" in the run-up to local government elections.

This is despite a decision by the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) to exclude him from all activities and from speaking publicly as its deputy president unless and until the courts clear him of allegations that he raped an Aids activist.

Speaking at his RDP Education Trust's annual children's party, Zuma said it was "misinformation" that the ANC election strategy would have to change because of his exclusion.

"I am the one who decided to be inactive as the party's deputy president but, as a member of the ANC, there is nothing stopping me from campaigning.

"So yes, I am preparing myself and I will be campaigning in full force and vigorously during the elections," he said.

The municipal elections will be held next March.

Zuma's proposal that he retain the deputy presidency and continue with general ANC activities was accepted by the party's national working committee on December 6. But this decision was later rejected by the NEC, which handed the powers of his office to the office of the ANC secretary-general.

Zuma would be defying this decision by refusing to become a silent and ceremonial deputy president.

He is also set to defy a decision by the tripartite alliance's secretariat in KwaZulu-Natal, which had originally planned to campaign with him, but later decided to exclude him from its campaign strategy.

When Zuma was stripped of his powers, ANC secretary-general Kgalema Montlanthe said he would need to seek the ANC's approval before speaking on its behalf or taking part in ANC activities. This, Montlanthe said, meant that Zuma would not be able to campaign for the party.

The decision was made to stop Zuma addressing an ANC Youth League conference in Limpopo on December 7.

Last night, the KZN leadership of the ANC said it could not comment as it was a national matter.

ANC deputy secretary general Sanki Mthembi-Mahanyele said she was not aware of a change in the party's decisions.

"But I am also not aware of the interactions that he (Zuma) has had with (Montlanthe) since then."

Neither Montlanthe nor the head of the presidency, Smuts Ngonyama, were available for comment.