ANC 'could break up'
2007-12-19 10:23
Cape Town - Those who argue that the controversial Jacob Zuma can rescue South Africa's poor are going to be sorely disappointed, says well-known author William Gumede.
Thabo Mbeki was humiliatingly toppled on Tuesday as the president of the ANC by rival Zuma, the man he fired two years ago as deputy president of the country.
Zuma received 60% of the votes compared to Mbeki's 39%.
Gumede - author of the book Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC - writes in Wednesday's Guardian newspaper that Zuma has performed one of the most stunning comebacks in the country's history.
"For all the doubts that hang over Zuma's character, many argue that he offers a critical conduit for the poor's grievances. These people are going to be disappointed. The ragbag collection of groups that back Zuma ranges from socialists and trade unionists to supporters of virginity testing and the death penalty.
Good for democracy
"Dashed expectations may be the catalyst for a break-up of the ANC - a break-up which is debatably overdue and can only be good for democracy", says Gumede.
Zuma's greatest challenge will be to keep the deeply divided ANC together, while delivering on his promises to a disparate and expectant support base, he added.
"As if this were not enough, he will have to convince South Africa's anxious establishment - black and white - that his Lazarus-like rise does not herald the apocalypse. What is obvious from the fractious party conference is that Africa's oldest and most respected liberation movement is split into two camps."
Newly-elected ANC president Jacob Zuma is expected to address a media briefing on Wednesday morning. The tone he takes in coming days and months will be crucial in overcoming the deep divisions within the ANC.
While Mbeki has two years left as president, his authority has been badly undermined by the defeat. The question remains whether these two rivals will be able to work together in a meaningful way.