Lekota is 'power hungry'

2008-10-06 18:35

Bloemfontein - Former ANC national chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota, who mounted an attack on party leaders in a recent open letter, was a confused and power-hungry individual, the ANC in the Free State said on Monday.

"For some strange reason (he) believes that the ANC is his personal heritage," Free State ANC spokesperson Teboho Sikisi said in a statement issued by the party's provincial executive committee (PEC).

"We have no other option but to state that his actions are rather an embarrassment to the ANC in this province."

In a strongly worded recent statement to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, Lekota said the current leadership within the ANC had taken a "direct and unadulterated departure" from the Freedom Charter.

Lekota, a former Free State premier, also raised his concerns over what he called ''high levels of intolerance in the ANC''.

Sikisi said Lekota must humble himself and become a unifier whom the ANC could be proud of.

The PEC also expressed its shock at the "unprovoked attack" by Lekota on the party.

"As the result we have opted to take an unusual step to respond to this irresponsible and outright subjective attack on our movement by comrade Lekota."

Sikisi said the ANC wanted the general populace and the "many comrades" for whom Lekota purported to speak to look at some facts before judging the party.

He said the first instances of the ANC being taken to court after becoming the ruling party in South Africa occurred in the Free State.

The decision by national party structures to redeploy Lekota to national parliament was challenged in court.

Sikisi said that in the recent past in the Free State when the ANC had been taken to court, it was done by people who were known to be close to Lekota.

"The majority of these court applications took place when comrade Mosiuoa Lekota was still the chairperson of the ANC."

Just before the Polokwane conference Lekota hastily convened the ANC provincial leadership to a meeting in Kroonstad where, "true to his character, he tried unsuccessfully", to bully the leadership into agreeing to terms with the leadership of the court applicants.

"We would not be surprised if he is part of the so-called initiative to start an ostensibly new party to oppose the ANC."

The party in the Free State would stay vigilant regardless of Lekota's negative perceptions, Sikisi said.

- SAPA