The firing of Pallo Jordan from his Cabinet post had more to do with clashes with the president than his performance on the job, writes Gaye Davis
Pallo Jordan was fired from Cabinet as a result of sharp differences with President Nelson Mandela and other senior African National Congress members — including a stand he took against the dilution of civil liberties and against interference in the broadcasting services.
It emerged this week that Jordan has clashed repeatedly with the president. Last year he was nearly dismissed after opposing proposals that the Constitution’s Chapter of Rights be watered down to facilitate the police fight against crime.
It is understood he also angered Mandela by his refusal to take a “hands on” approach to the SABC. Mandela was apparently frustrated by the SABC’s handling of the Afrikaans language issue — which he feared was proving a rallying point for the right wing and jeopardising the process of reconciliation and nation-building.
There has been widespread speculation that Thabo Mbeki was behind Jordan’s axing. But Mandela said in Athlone at the weekend that the decision was his alone.
The Mail & Guardian has confirmed there was no consultation with senior party officials before the decision to get rid of Jordan was announced; ANC deputy secretary general Cheryl Carolus heard about it on the radio and secretary general Cyril Ramaphosa was told a few minutes before Jordan himself. The ANC had already had its last parliamentary caucus of the session. The matter was not discussed at the last NEC meeting of the ANC.
Jordan was refusing to discuss his dismissal, other than to label as “media speculation” reports that he had been offered — and turned down — an ambassadorship to Japan. He said would remain in politics. “There is lots of room on the back benches,” he said. However, he was angered by his sacking and determined to make a comeback.
But other sources in the ANC attributed his firing to a series of differences with Mandela. In addition to the broadcasting and civil rights issues, Jordan was being criticised in the ANC hierarchy for his approach to the privatisation of Telkom. There was a general feeling the ANC was not providing leadership in privatising state assets and that Jordan appeared to be reluctant to tackle the unions.
Jordan also opposed President Mandela over his “Indian option” — a list of candidates he had drawn up for the ANC’s national executive committee elections at the organisation’s Bloemfontein conference in 1994. Jordan objected to the approach as undemocratic. Mandela’s move was defeated and Jordan polled second place, after Bantu Holomisa.
There have also been differences between Jordan and Mbeki. Last year they had a dust-up over the one-hour slot Mbeki wanted for the government on the SABC. Jordan was openly disdainful of the notion. Questions were raised at the time as to why Mbeki felt the need for such an intervention when he had overall responsibility for the South African Communications Service, with a budget of R56- million a year.
It is understood they also clashed over government’s economic growth and development strategy. Jordan had opposed the initiative not in principle, but because he questioned the wisdom of bringing a new concept to the Reconstruction and Development Programme at a time when the RDP had barely got off the ground.
Jordan’s dismissal has shocked many in the ANC. He was described this week by colleagues as a man of integrity and great courage. As one put it: “Pallo brings to the ANC integrity and pluck. He will stand up and say what others don’t have the guts to say. He might be wrong sometimes, but it’s his honest opinion, not some power play. This is what we’ll be losing from cabinet.” Of the left, but not a member of the South African Communist Party; liked by organised labour, but not from Cosatu, his isolation from these power blocs seems to have made him vulnerable.
Jordan has always been clear in his mission to bring South Africa into the 21st-century as far as telecommunications is concerned. That has now been taken away from him. He has tried to defend South Africa from international pressures on open local markets that could have led to their being swamped by conglomerates in cosy strategic alliances. Jordan realised it wasn’t possible to swim against the currents of globalisation, but saw a way of finessing it, using his White Paper to spell out a phased liberalisation of the market, giving South Africans the opportunity to build up their strength against inevitable opposition.
Jordan’s firing is being interpreted as a warning to those who might “overstep the mark” in their criticism.
Mandela has no peers in the ANC leadership. While he is traditionally seen as first among equals, in terms of experience and stature Mandela towers above the rest.
There is concern in some quarters at least that this overwhelming dominance could set a dangerous precedent for successors to the presidency.