'Split from the ANC if you want'

2008-10-05 08:02

Moffet Mofokeng, Caiphus Kgosana and Piet Rampedi

Johannesburg - The ANC has told those who wish to form a splinter party to go ahead and has threatened them with the full might of the party at the polls.

Instead of working to engender unity, party bosses have decided to show the "ill-disciplined rogues" the door and remind them that membership can be terminated.

In the aftermath of an ugly public spat between party head of policy and Transport Minister Jeff Radebe and former national chairperson Mosioua Lekota, senior members of the ANC who spoke to City Press on Saturday said there was no point in being held captive by the threat of the imminent formation of a new party.

Lekota is considered a possible future leader of a splinter party.

'Meet at the polls'

"We will meet at the polls. That's it," said an ANC national working committee member.

Ayanda Dlodlo, the secretary-general of uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association, said Lekota and "his ilk" wanted to hold the ANC to ransom. "The ANC is awash with talent. They can go form their own party," said Dlodlo.

Messages left for ANC spokesperson Jesse Duarte had not been returned at the time of going to press.

A number of political commentators said the events of the past week pointed to a possible splinter in the party. They said the success of a new party would depend on the extent of the anger and marginalisation of those not in the faction led by ANC president Jacob Zuma.

The handling of former president Thabo Mbeki's removal from office, the resignations of ministers, Lekota's fiery open letter to the ANC, Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa's resignation and Limpopo premier Sello Moloto's promise to quit his job if arbitrarily forced to reshuffle his cabinet without consideration to service delivery requirements, had primed the country for an ANC split, they said.

Many unhappy ANC members

A former minister said it took time to establish an organisation rooted in every village, township and suburb - a requirement to take on the ANC. However, the former minister said the extent of the anger should not be undermined (sic).

Another minister said the ANC leadership had opted to exacerbate divisions rather than seek unity by purging those who had supported Mbeki's bid for the ANC presidency.

The minister said they were doing this in the hope that this group would leave the party and ease the hostilities expected to accompany the much-anticipated list process.

An ANC leader said a splinter could be effective near the elections but would have to be driven by sentiment and events rather than by organisational structures because these took a long time to set up.

"At the moment many councillors, mayors, provincial legislators and MPs know it would not make economic sense to leave paid jobs now for an organisation whose potential is only speculative. They remain unhappy nonetheless and the ANC knows this," said the member.

Lekota set the cat among the pigeons when he wrote an open letter to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, accusing the Zuma-led ANC of departing from the ANC's political bible, the Freedom Charter, by undermining the judiciary.

In its response, the ANC sought to portray Lekota as a failed leader. The party dragged Nelson Mandela into the saga, saying Lekota had presided over a "disrespectful discourse that insulted" Mandela.

A source said this was an attempt to turn the public against Lekota by casting him as an anti-Mandela leader and also portraying themselves as having Mandela's best interests at heart.

In the Western Cape, representatives of more than 80 branches mainly from in and around Cape Town that recently held a parallel conference to the one that elected Mcebisi Skwatsha as provincial chairperson, on Saturday held a meeting to discuss their options.

- City Press