Fifty years on: Terror Lekota’s victory signals a resurgence of the left and the former MDM activists. Reports by Wally Mbhele, Marion Edmunds and Sechaba ka’Nkosi
Former Free State premier Patrick “Terror” Lekota shot back from the political sidelines with a resounding landslide victory over Minister of Sport Steve Tshwete for the position of national chairman of the African National Congress at the party’s 50th national conference in Mafikeng on Thursday.
Lekota’s emphatic victory, coupled with the more marginal victory of Thenjiwe Mthintso for the position of ANC deputy secretary general, is a stunning show of support for an emerging bloc of leftwingers who this week began a dramatic battle for the soul of the ruling party.
The movement’s 50th congress, which ends on Saturday, has been characterised by fierce lobbying from the former Mass Democratic Movement bloc, particularly the Congress of South African Trade Unions, and its new- found allies in the South African Communist Party, seeking to play a role in determining the ANC’s ultimate ideological direction.
The victory also puts the charismatic and well-liked Lekota to the front of the queue to eventually succeed Mbeki, the newly- elected president of the ANC, little more than a year after Lekota was effectively excluded from the premiership of the Free State and driven to the margins of the organisation by the national leadership.
It was not a chance victory. While during the day the alliance put on a united happy face, nights were spent caucusing about the strategic choice of the top six office bearers and how to swing the critical mass within the 66-person national executive.
The strategy paid off. Lekota scored more than double Tshwete’s votes, 1 775 to 859. The win for Mthintso, chair of the gender commission, was more narrow. She defeated Mavivi Myakayaka-Manzini by 1 398 votes to 1 179.
Even the much-expected debate on the ANC’s macro-economic reform programme – and more particularly, the government’s Growth, Employment and Redistribution (Gear) strategy – was overshadowed by the intense canvassing of delegates at the conference on the leadership positions.
The ANC leadership reaffirmed its long- standing commitment to Gear, arguing that the strategy has now been accepted as the party’s official policy.
Mbeki reaffirmed this pledge at a media briefing attended by hundreds of journalists: “The existing programmes continue to be our challenge. We will continue with these measures … to create that climate which is more conducive for investments which in turn will lead to job creation.”
It however appears that the ANC’s insistence on pushing Gear as the final economic policy and the ANC’s controversial style of electing leaders have finally led to this realignment of the alliance’s left- wing bloc.
President Nelson Mandela hinted in his main address to the conference at the strain the alliance was undergoing but nevertheless called for sober debates around its future, particularly the ANC’s marriage with the SACP, which has socialism as its final goal. Word spread that Lekota and Mthintso had been separately approached to step down. This further united the left bloc.
Lekota resisted moves to withdraw from the contest, quietly arguing that he was the only non-Africanist in the running for one of the party’s top six positions.
Besides these positions, Thabo Mbeki had already been elected president and Jacob Zuma his deputy, while returning ambassador Mendi Msimang was elected treasurer-general unopposed.
So, the battle for the national chairmanship and deputy secretary general was considered a fight between the two ANC political schools – Myakakaya-Manzini is Mbeki’s parliamentary officer. Already, there was general discontent that “comrades” suspecting of being too far to the left were either sidelined or forced to step down from competing for leadership positions. But everyone was aware that insistence on both Lekota and Mthintso to withdraw would have caused further divisions at the conference.
Clearly the Lekota-Tshwete battle was one of the few real contests on the cards.
Lekota arrived at the conference with six provinces firmly behind him. Tshwete was hit by his being identified as part of an “anti-Winnie” campaign for a recent interview in which he lambasted Madikizela- Mandela.
Provinces which showed unwavering support for Lekota included Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and the Northern province while Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal remained firmly behind Tshwete. the party’s top six positions.
Besides these positions, Thabo Mbeki had already been elected president and Jacob Zuma his deputy, while returning ambassador Mendi Msimang was elected treasurer-general unopposed.
So, the battle for the national chairmanship and deputy secretary general was considered a fight between the two ANC political schools – Myakakaya-Manzini is Mbeki’s parliamentary officer. Already, there was general discontent that “comrades” suspecting of being too far to the left were either sidelined or forced to step down from competing for leadership positions. But everyone was aware that insistence on both Lekota and Mthintso to withdraw would have caused further divisions at the conference .
Clearly the Lekota-Tshwete battle was one of the few real contests on the cards.
Lekota arrived at the conference with six provinces firmly behind him. Tshwete was hit by his being identified as part of an “anti-Winnie” campaign for a recent interview in which he lambasted Madikizela- Mandela.
Provinces which showed unwavering support for Lekota included Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and the Northern province while Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal remained firmly behind Tshwete.
National executive member Saki Macozoma said: “It’s an excellent result because I think the ANC does need younger people in the top six whom we can build on, so I’m quite happy.”
Western Cape delegate David Dolth was less considered: “Terror is a champ – no one can take a chance. With Thenjiwe it was close, but we’re still happy.”
Lekota (49) was schooled in the black consciousness movement and spent six years on Robben Island in the 1970s for his part in organising pro-Frelimo rallies. In 1983, he became publicity secretary of the United Democratic Front and was a key activist through the decade before being detained and appearing at the Delmas treason trial. He was the first premier of the Free State and, despite winning accolades for his handling of transition in the province, was forced out of office by the ANC leadership following factional conflict in the province. He is now chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.