Signs of crack in Zuma camp?
2008-01-27 17:29
Johannesburg - Signs of cracks in the Zuma camp have emerged after "a blistering attack" by angry ANC president, Jacob Zuma, on some of his new national executive committee (NEC) members.
Zuma has accused the NEC members of working behind his back to push his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, and treasurer Mathews Phosa.
He says NEC members want the two to become the country's president and deputy president next year if charges of corruption levelled against him by the State lead to a jail sentence.
Reports from the first NEC meeting on January 7 say Zuma was so angry that he later had to apologise. He was asked to do so by senior members including Zola Skweyiya.
Going behind his back
Sources say Zuma said he was aware that members of the new NEC were going behind his back.
"He was so angry, he told the NEC this had to stop or he would take action. After the break, he came back subdued and apologised for the anger, but said the issue was true and should stop.
"Apparently, some senior people spoke to him and said his anger would generate new divisions in the new NEC."
Zuma's outburst is apparently the reason why the NEC had to break with tradition and declare that the ANC president will lead the ANC election campaign as the organisation's candidate for president of South Africa in the 2009 elections.
Historically, such a decision is made by the party's national list conference. The conference is scheduled for later this year.
Mistrust
There has been talk of mistrust in the camp since the Polokwane conference. Some members suspect that leaders like Phosa are positioning themselves for higher office if Zuma is jailed.
Phosa's outspoken statements since Polokwane and his constant presence at news conferences - where he appears as a virtual spokesperson for the ANC - have also raised questions about his own plans next year and in 2012.
But Phosa on Saturday dismissed the claims as "mischievous".
"Zuma never made those comments and the NEC of the ANC is united behind him . . . I feel humiliated to have to respond to this nonsense. It was expected that the leaders of the ANC will be rubbished.
"People have been saying that we will be targeted one by one and that we will be smeared," Phosa said.
'Gossiping'
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and NEC member Blade Nzimande said Zuma spoke generally about the need for the new NEC to refrain from "gossiping".
He made no reference to his legal woes nor his "planned replacement" by Motlanthe and Phosa.
However, at least four NEC members who were present at the meeting confirmed that a fuming Zuma had made the remarks.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said Zuma had told the meeting that much of the "gossiping" and "bad-mouthing" in the party leadership involved his name.
"He said he was angry that these things were happening in the ANC and that they were happening around him and targeting him in particular," said an NEC member.
Zuma later apologised to the meeting for saying he was "angry" but said he stood by his remarks that "rumour-mongering" in the party should stop.
Mantashe on Saturday confirmed that Zuma had apologised to the meeting for using the word "angry" when he had made the statement.
He said there was nothing sinister about Zuma's remarks about backstabbing and backbiting in the ANC.
Upcoming trial
"He was saying that people should stop gossiping about one another because gossip takes rounds and comes back to the person you are talking about," said Mantashe.
He denied that Zuma had mentioned anything about his upcoming fraud and corruption trial.
"His comments were located within his call for unity," said Mantashe.
Nzimande, who also attended the meeting, denied that Zuma had made the accusations.
Nzimande said that Zuma had been "very generous" in his bid to promote ANC unity "given what he had gone through" and that, therefore, he would have not made these accusations.