The government is holding back on announcing a date for the local government elections because of the current disruptions in the African National Congress, the United Democratic Movement said on Saturday.
This is the result of the axing of deputy president Jacob Zuma and the struggle over who will succeed President Thabo Mbeki, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said.
”The ANC’s house is on fire, so while they delay elections to put out the fire, they are furtively campaigning with state resources … and the arsonists are those who support Jacob Zuma, the ANC deputy president.”
”Key individuals” in the civil service on both sides of the Zuma/Mbeki divide are now focusing on party matters instead of service delivery, Holomisa said.
Referring to Zuma’s delivery of the OR Tambo Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, Holomisa said he found it disturbing Zuma had invoked Tambo’s name to cast himself as a saint and an angel.
Zuma said Tambo led the ANC for as long as its leadership required him to.
”When it came time for him to pass the baton, he would have no problem in doing so,” he said to cheers and applause from hundreds of students, including a large contingent of ANC Youth League members.
”Talking of leaders knowing when to pass the baton, and accusing Mbeki of not wanting to pass the baton, is downright amusing. If I were Mbeki, I wouldn’t want to pass the baton to this particular person,” Holomisa countered.
He found it ”highly ironic” for Zuma to speak of people unable to pass the baton, when he was morally and ethically obliged to do so after being implicated in corruption, but refused to do so.
Holomisa said Zuma’s promises to ”reveal all” after his trial on corruption charges is the language of someone already certain he cannot win his case.
”So, he already needs to lay the ground for claiming that the case was a conspiracy.”
He noted that Zuma supporters have shifted their campaign from one of innocent until proven guilty to innocence regardless of court proceedings.
”Pass the baton, indeed; sir, you should practise what you preach and spare this country any more of these nauseating anti-democratic and populist displays committed in your name,” Holomisa concluded.
Holomisa was addressing the UDM’s Eastern Cape congress. — Sapa