The African National Congress on Monday called on its members to exercise ”caution and discipline” over their views on who is suitable for party leadership.
”While recognising that members of the movement may have views on the suitability of various leaders with respect to the presidency of the ANC, the NEC [national executive committee] counsels caution, patience and discipline,” the party said in a statement after its weekend NEC meeting.
The meeting was to discuss matters arising from the corruption allegations against its deputy president, Jacob Zuma. Zuma also raised reports that he had allegedly raped a female friend of the family.
In the lengthy statement, the party said there is no conspiracy or divisions within the ANC, but noted that one of its new challenges is in-fighting and factionalism, which it said is ”mostly related to competition for positions and resources”.
This highlights the challenge of ensuring that the decisions of its constitutional structures are respected and implemented.
This includes the decision of the NEC in March this year on election of ANC leadership.
”The NEC agreed that there was no reason to interfere with the normal course of organisational processes, either with regard to the election of the national leadership due in 2007 or the premature selection of candidates for the 2009 [general] elections.”
The party will attend to these matters at the appropriate time and according to established procedures of the movement.
It accepted that while carrying out his duties in the ANC and government, Zuma had never sought to be elected to any position and had never campaigned, or engaged in a campaign on his behalf.
This applied especially on how the matter was handled publicly and in the media.
Zuma was ”relieved” of his position as deputy president of the country in June, when he featured in the fraud and corruption judgement of his financial adviser Schabir Shaik.
His removal came with an outpouring of support for him and hostility directed at Mbeki, and was seen by some as part of a plan to remove him from the running as a possible successor to Mbeki. — Sapa