Mbeki, Zuma vow no split in ANC

JOHANNESBURG – South African President Thabo Mbeki and his former vice president Jacob Zuma, who was sacked in June over corruption allegations, moved on Saturday to avoid a split in the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

“We wish to assert that there is one ANC, and therefore reject the notion that individuals should be required to choose sides, on the basis of the absolutely false assertion that we lead two contending factions within the movement,” the two said in a joint statement. The immensely popular Zuma, who remains the vice president of the ANC, has a strong following in the party and his supporters have demanded he be reinstated, sparking fears of a split in the party that has ruled South Africa since the first free multiracial elections in 1994.The statement acknowledged the threat the simmering row presents to the party, saying “current events present a real danger of steadily but surely eroding public confidence in the ANC.”Mbeki sacked Zuma in June before he was charged with two counts of corruption relating to a controversial multi-billion-dollar government arms deal.Zuma, who faces 15 years in jail if found guilty of corruption, has maintained his innocence, repeatedly hinting at a political plot against him.Zuma has widely been considered a favourite to succeed Mbeki in 2009.- Nampa-AFPThe immensely popular Zuma, who remains the vice president of the ANC, has a strong following in the party and his supporters have demanded he be reinstated, sparking fears of a split in the party that has ruled South Africa since the first free multiracial elections in 1994.The statement acknowledged the threat the simmering row presents to the party, saying “current events present a real danger of steadily but surely eroding public confidence in the ANC.”Mbeki sacked Zuma in June before he was charged with two counts of corruption relating to a controversial multi-billion-dollar government arms deal.Zuma, who faces 15 years in jail if found guilty of corruption, has maintained his innocence, repeatedly hinting at a political plot against him.Zuma has widely been considered a favourite to succeed Mbeki in 2009.- Nampa-AFP