In a move worthy of a contortionist African National Congress KwaZulu-Natal chairperson and Thabo Mbeki loyalist, S’bu Ndebele, has explained his unexpected weekend announcement that he is backing ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma as the next party leader.
”It must be made clear that support for Zuma does not mean one is anti-Mbeki and support for Mbeki does not mean one is anti-Zuma,” Ndebele told the Mail & Guardian.
”So we are saying, if Mbeki steps down as ANC president, our candidate will be Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma.”
The ANC in the province has also denied reports that Ndebele may have reacted to a planned motion of no–confidence in his leadership at the ANC’s weekend provincial general council meeting.
Provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu said Ndebele, a known supporter of Mbeki and a vocal campaigner for him to retain his position as ANC president when his term ends, was merely reaffirming the position, adopted at last year’s provincial general council, that the ANC would support Zuma to replace Mbeki as party president.
Ndebele concurred, saying the statement meant the ANC would also support Zuma during his corruption trial that is starting on July 31 and also ensure order during night vigils outside the courts. ”The trial is happening in KwaZulu-Natal and we will demonstrate our support for our deputy president by going to the court during the court appearance and ensuring that we do not have people who burn pictures of our leaders outside the court,” Ndebele said, referring to Zuma supporters that burnt T-shirts bearing Mbeki’s face during Zuma’s court appearance on corruption charges at the Durban Magistrate’s Court last year. ”We are saying we will support Zuma fully.”
Ndebele was formerly a well-regarded ANC leader in KwaZulu-Natal whose popularity was boosted by his sterling work as provincial transport minister.
However, he lost significant ground in an overwhelmingly pro-Zuma province by publicly insisting Mbeki was not excluded by the ANC constitution from a third term as party chairperson.
Asked whom he would support if Mbeki were to stand for the third term as president of the ANC against Zuma, Ndebele said he would not want to contemplate that because he believed such a scenario would never play itself out during an ANC general conference.
”I must first say that I have known these two comrades for many years and they are personal friends of long standing,” explained Ndebele. ”So I trust that, out of the sheer maturity of these comrades, we will never see Mbeki challenging Zuma for the position of ANC president. It’s not going to happen.”
One delegate at the weekend’s council meeting suggested to the M&G that Ndebele’s apparent political somersault was prompted by the fact that he might have got wind that some groups were planning to topple him and replace him with his long-standing arch-rival, Zweli Mkhize.
Responded Mchunu: ”One or two individuals might have discussed that [a vote of no-confidence], but not a single structure of the ANC has raised or questioned Ndebele’s leadership.”