/ 6 January 2011

Polokwane: What will Zuma say?

Polokwane: What Will Zuma Say?

Polokwane is the city that became synonymous with the ousting of former president Thabo Mbeki from the helm of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) in 2007.

When President Jacob Zuma makes the party’s annual January 8 statement at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday on the 99th anniversary of the founding of the ANC, the circumstances will be vastly different.

He is now the man at the helm of the party.

Traditionally, the January 8 statement is the start of the political year, where one can expect the president to detail what he expects the party to achieve.

Some of what he says could filter through to the State of the Nation address later in the year.

In 2010, when Zuma delivered the January 8 statement in Kimberley, he said that the blurring of political and administrative roles among ANC cadres deployed to the municipalities hampered service delivery at local level.

Service delivery
His comments followed a rash of service delivery protests that made headlines in 2009.

Some of these continued into 2010 and Udesh Pillay, who heads the Human Sciences Research Council’s centre for service delivery, was quoted last March as saying service delivery protests had increased.

Service delivery could feature again in Zuma’s speech on Saturday, especially with a local government election looming later this year, either in May or June.

Independent political analyst Protas Madlala said he believed Zuma would “be hard on public officials that are going to be elected”.

The ANC national general council (NGC) in September last year highlighted fears that the party had problems with local government.

“He will also acknowledge that and say it is time to shape up or ship out. There is an election and they [the service delivery protests] have embarrassed the government,” said Madlala.

ANC Youth League
The NGC also underlined some differences between the ANC Youth League led by Julius Malema and the ANC establishment.

In view of this, many eyes will be on Malema on Saturday as Limpopo is his home turf.

“They will just play down these issues. I can see him appeal to the youth and praise them for supporting the party at the last election. They are a big chunk of the vote,” said Madlala.

Sbo Zamisa, an analyst with the Centre for Public Participation in Durban, agreed.

“They will want to come up with a positive public relations event,” he said.

Asked if revelations at the NGC that the party was concerned at possible inroads made by the Democratic Alliance (DA) would feature in Polokwane, Madlala said: “I don’t think it will be publicly acknowledged. I am sure they are working behind the scenes, but it won’t be acknowledged.”

DA and Cope
However, Zamisa said that he believed the DA could feature in speeches in Polokwane and that the “race card” could feature because the ANC is worried about the DA’s growing hold in the Western Cape.

“They might play up service delivery protests there that have mostly involved blacks,” he said.

Madlala said the Congress of the People (Cope) could face some mockery from speakers in Polokwane.

Zuma’s speech could seek to build the unity of the organisation ahead of this year’s local government elections by “portraying the alliance as unshakeable”, according to Madlala.

As the man who will hold the platform, Zuma’s January 8 statement will define what is to come this year from a party that next year celebrates its centenary. — Sapa