Ex-minister says ANC close to split

JOHANNESBURG – Former South African Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said yesterday the ruling ANC was close to a split but stopped short of announcing a breakaway party.

“It seems that we are serving today divorce papers,” Lekota said at a news conference after complaining at length about what he called undemocratic tendencies in the African National Congress, which he said had betrayed its own principles. The former minister repeatedly denied that he and other loyalists of ousted president Thabo Mbeki would form a new party, but said: “This is probably the parting of the ways, it probably is.””We hope that sense may still prevail in us…If not there’s no going back,” he said.Flanked by another ANC dissident, former Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George, he added: “Logically it seems that this is the end of it.”It was not clear how much support Lekota had although he said hundreds of local supporters had resigned and regional and provincial ANC branches were contemplating leaving.He called for a special congress of all those opposed to the ANC’s current direction within four weeks to discuss the way forward and how to restore democracy both inside the dominant party and in South Africa.He said he had not spoken to opposition parties.Most analysts played down the impact of any breakaway party unless it was joined by ANC heavyweights including Mbeki.They said the party leadership might welcome the departure of dissidents like Lekota to restore unity.”I think the kind of breakaway possible under these circumstances will not make a significant difference,” said Steven Friedman, a political analyst at Johannesburg and Rhodes universities.”A breakaway party at this stage is unlikely to lead to a significant leadership exodus from the ANC, or to garner significant public support that genuinely threatens ANC dominance,” said Nic Borain, an independent analyst.Mbeki was forced out last month and replaced by Kgalema Motlanthe after a judge accused the former president of meddling in a graft case against his rival, ANC leader Jacob Zuma.Lekota said those opposing the present leadership would need to be in some kind of organisation but said there must be consultation first on the way forward.On several occasions he attacked firebrand ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, who earlier this year said he was ready to kill to defend Zuma.Lekota complained about tribalism in the ANC and said the leadership had failed to crackdown on supporters singing songs calling for violence.It had also attacked judges as “counter revolutionary” because of judgements unfavourable to Zuma.”Where is the third arm of government, where is the comfort for the citizens of this country?” Lekota asked.Zuma is known for his impromptu dancing, often outside hearings in his graft case, and trademark anti-apartheid song “Bring my machinegun”.Zuma is expected to take over as president after elections in the first half of 2009.Mbeki’s ouster, the climax of a power struggle with Zuma, marked the biggest political upheaval in the history of the party and the leadership has since been trying to restore unity.Lekota said he was living with an “uneasy sense that the African National Congress has started moving away from the cause that attracted us.”The creation of a breakaway party would add to political uncertainty and unsettle investors in Africa’s biggest economy, but traders said there was no reaction to Lekota’s move.”I don’t think there would have been any reaction anyway, but the fact that there was no split meant there was no reaction,” said George Glynos, Managing Director of market analysts ETM.The South African Communist Party, one of Zuma’s leftist backers within the ruling alliance, branded Lekota as a rightwinger.”Finally the beast is in the open,” it said.But the main opposition Democratic Alliance party welcomed Lekota’s statement.”The disintegration of the ANC has begun, heralding an exciting new era in South Africa,” it said.- Nampa-ReutersThe former minister repeatedly denied that he and other loyalists of ousted president Thabo Mbeki would form a new party, but said: “This is probably the parting of the ways, it probably is.””We hope that sense may still prevail in us…If not there’s no going back,” he said.Flanked by another ANC dissident, former Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George, he added: “Logically it seems that this is the end of it.”It was not clear how much support Lekota had although he said hundreds of local supporters had resigned and regional and provincial ANC branches were contemplating leaving.He called for a special congress of all those opposed to the ANC’s current direction within four weeks to discuss the way forward and how to restore democracy both inside the dominant party and in South Africa.He said he had not spoken to opposition parties.Most analysts played down the impact of any breakaway party unless it was joined by ANC heavyweights including Mbeki.They said the party leadership might welcome the departure of dissidents like Lekota to restore unity.”I think the kind of breakaway possible under these circumstances will not make a significant difference,” said Steven Friedman, a political analyst at Johannesburg and Rhodes universities.”A breakaway party at this stage is unlikely to lead to a significant leadership exodus from the ANC, or to garner significant public support that genuinely threatens ANC dominance,” said Nic Borain, an independent analyst.Mbeki was forced out last month and replaced by Kgalema Motlanthe after a judge accused the former president of meddling in a graft case against his rival, ANC leader Jacob Zuma.Lekota said those opposing the present leadership would need to be in some kind of organisation but said there must be consultation first on the way forward.On several occasions he attacked firebrand ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, who earlier this year said he was ready to kill to defend Zuma.Lekota complained about tribalism in the ANC and said the leadership had failed to crackdown on supporters singing songs calling for violence.It had also attacked judges as “counter revolutionary” because of judgements unfavourable to Zuma.”Where is the third arm of government, where is the comfort for the citizens of this country?” Lekota asked.Zuma is known for his impromptu dancing, often outside hearings in his graft case, and trademark anti-apartheid song “Bring my machinegun”.Zuma is expected to take over as president after elections in the first half of 2009.Mbeki’s ouster, the climax of a power struggle with Zuma, marked the biggest political upheaval in the history of the party and the leadership has since been trying to restore unity.Lekota said he was living with an “uneasy sense that the African National Congress has started moving away from the cause that attracted us.”The creation of a breakaway party would add to political uncertainty and unsettle investors in Africa’s biggest economy, but traders said there was no reaction to Lekota’s move.”I don’t think there would have been any reaction anyway, but the fact that there was no split meant there was no reaction,” said George Glynos, Managing Director of market analysts ETM.The South African Communist Party, one of Zuma’s leftist backers within the ruling alliance, branded Lekota as a rightwinger.”Finally the beast is in the open,” it said.But the main opposition Democratic Alliance party welcomed Lekota’s statement.”The disintegration of the ANC has begun, heralding an exciting new era in South Africa,” it said.- Nampa-Reuters