South African Communist Party (SACP) leader Blade Nzimande was reluctant to hand President Thabo Mbeki an award for his contribution to the struggle, the Star reported on Thursday.
The SACP in Gauteng wanted Nzimande to present the award at a fundraising dinner in Johannesburg on Saturday, following acrimonious exchanges between the two men.
Gauteng provincial secretary Vishwas Satgar said the ”recognition” award was a token of appreciation to Mbeki.
Nzimande ”is going to play a role in the award”, he added.
Satgar would not comment on Nzimande’s apparent reluctance.
Mbeki accused Nzimande of ”extraordinary arrogance” at a recent ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting.
This prompted Nzimande to question the president’s leadership capacity.
Both the presidency and the SACP confirmed to the Star that Mbeki and Nzimande would attend Saturday’s function.
In a recent speech to the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union congresses, Nzimande implied that the ANC and the government under Mbeki had strayed from the ruling party’s historic socialist policies.
At the ANC’s NEC meeting, Mbeki quoted Nzimande’s speeches to show he was acting contrary to the ”spirit and intent” of the SACP’s position. – Sapa