Zuma: Mbeki proposal rejected
2005-08-28 21:56
Mandy Rossouw and Willem Jordaan
Cape Town - At least one member of the Tripartite alliance rejected
President Thabo Mbeki's proposal to investigate an "alleged plot" against
Jacob Zuma on Sunday.
"We don't need a commission of inquiry, the alliance can address such
issues," said Kaiser Mohau, an SACP spokesperson.
Cosatu, the other member of the alliance, will decide on Wednesday whether
they support the proposal.
Mohau also criticised Mbeki's decision to propose the commission. "He cannot just make these proposals. Not even the ANC knew about it.
"No outsider should monitor us. If he wanted to propose it, he should have
done so at the alliance's conference. But he didn't even attend it.
"This is a commission by the president for the president - what value would
it have for us?" Mohau asked.
Decide
ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said the alliance's secretariat would have
to decide about Mbeki's proposal.
He said the secretariat would study the resolutions of last week's meeting,
during which Mbeki's proposal was read.
Amid indications that the alliance would meet about the Zuma issue this week,
Ngonyama said he did not know when the next meeting would take place and
would not say whether Mbeki and Zuma would attend it, despite both leaders
being requested at last week's meeting to attend the next meeting.
"Their attendance will depend on their respective programmes," Ngonyama
said.
Cosatu president Willie Madisha said he "expects the president and the
deputy president to attend the next meeting".
ANC members said on Sunday that Mbeki - who is on leave until Wednesday -
would this week give his undivided attention to the crisis the Zuma dispute
has caused among the members of the alliance.
Agenda
Presidency spokesperson Murphy Morobe said he did not know whether Mbeki had any ANC matters on his agenda this week.
Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi said Mbeki's proposal would be
discussed by the union's central committee on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League said it was "not surprised" by the
president's proposal to establish an internal commission of inquiry into the
alleged plot against Zuma.
Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the Youth League would discuss Mbeki's proposal
this week.
"The proposal is the president's way of handling the issue," Kodwa said.
"But it is still only a proposal, and we will still decide whether it should
be accepted."
He said the Youth League did not support Cosatu's call on Mbeki to ensure
that the charges against Zuma be dropped.
"We feel Zuma has the right to a fair trial and that is what he should get."
Warned
The Sunday Times reported that government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe, one
of Mbeki's confidantes, warned at last week's meeting against a plot in the
Zuma camp, with the suspended deputy president's supporters allegedly
already eyeing positions in a Zuma cabinet.
Netshitenzhe would not comment yesterday, saying the meeting was
confidential. Ngonyama also refused to comment.