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No problems with Mbeki - Zuma
21/12/2007 14:32 - (SA)
Johannesburg - ANC president Jacob Zuma on Friday denied allegations of "problems" between him and the president of the country Thabo Mbeki.
In an interview on SABC radio Zuma said: "Mbeki and I have not fought. There is nothing among us.
"Comrade Mbeki and I meet every Monday at the officials meeting. We work together in the working committee, the NEC and we have been working together with the planning of the ANC conference," said Zuma.
His interview followed three days after he replaced Mbeki as head of the party and a day after the party's 52nd national conference in Polokwane ended.
'Comrade, friend and brother'
In his first speech as ANC president on Thursday Zuma referred to Mbeki as "a comrade, friend and brother".
"People must not think that we are meeting for the first time. We do not need to give each other guarantees Mbeki is a leader. We are going to be together all the time," he said.
"I have known the man, the brother, the friend and indeed the leader for over 30 years".
Zuma said the party would continue to work together to unite and build a stronger ANC.
"There cannot be a Zuma camp nor an Mbeki camp."
He added there was "no reason for uncertainty or fear in any quarter".
He was referring to anxiety over the existence of two centres of power.
"Comrade Mbeki and I, both as members of the ANC first and foremost, will develop smooth working relations between government and the ruling party."
In 2005 Mbeki sacked Zuma as deputy president of the country after Zuma's financial advisor Schabir Shaik was convicted of fraud and jailed for an effective 15 years.
Zuma's sacking sparked massive support for Zuma and open criticism of Mbeki.
- SAPA
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