ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma, desperate to maintain a clean image in the ANC’s bitter leadership race, has unleashed his ideological bulldogs on Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.
Zuma tends to sit on his hands when mud is flung at him because he wants to be seen as a unifying figure. However, he has lined up loyalists in the ANC, its communist and union allies and youth organisations to defend him and snarl at any detractors.
This week, his camp rescued the ANC Youth League’s former KwaZulu-Natal chairperson, Sifiso Sonjica, from political oblivion and set him loose over Leon’s recent attack on Zuma and his election campaign.
Leon had referred to a Zuma presidency as a ‘fate too ghastly to contemplate†and as a likely hostage ‘to the unredeemed leftists of the tripartite allianceâ€. Describing Leon as the leader of right-wing elements and former propagandist of the apartheid defence force, Sonjica said Leon opposed a Zuma presidency because under it ‘it’s not the elite few, but the majority of our people who will be beneficiaries†of South Africa’s wealth.
The DA was committed to permanent opposition without considering the merits of an issue and had no mass base or credible liberation history, he said. Zuma, by contrast, was a credible and principled leader who was very popular with the masses.
Sonjica called on Zuma to accept nomination as president of the ANC and the country to prove to ‘Leon and his ilk†that South Africa’s stability and modern economy depended more on the ANC being in power than on the individual leading it.
Zuma’s youth organisation bulldogs, whom he calls ‘young lionsâ€, recently sank their teeth into Archbishop Desmond Tutu for suggesting Zuma should drop out of the succession race.
The Congress of South African Students called on Tutu to detail his own sexual history before judging Zuma’s sexual escapades. Zuma mobilised his friend Elias Khumalo to take a swipe at Tutu’s age and ‘selective amnesiaâ€. Khumalo also defended Zuma against President Thabo Mbeki’s brother, Moeletsi, who warned of market jitters as Zuma’s campaign gained momentum.
ANC Youth League president Fikile Mbalula has also hurled insults at Zuma detractors with the youth league’s spokesperson Zizi Kodwa calling for the ‘dogs†to be ‘hit very hard until their owners and handlers come out into the open†— a reference to political commentators seen as cat’s paws of Mbeki, including University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Njabulo Ndebele.
An ANC national executive committee member said Zuma’s footsoldiers did not care ‘about rocking the boat because they are not inside the boat. They think they could improve their political fortunes in the long run.â€
Msholozi targets Mbeki supporters
ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma and his vocal backers in the ANC Youth League will take the fight into the territory of his political foes at a rally in North West province this weekend.
Zuma goes to the factious province not to unite squabling ANC leaders, but to build support for himself and weaken a traditional stronghold of President Thabo Mbeki.
The Mbeki faction, known as the ‘Taliban†and led by premier Edna Molewa, controls both the provincial government and ANC structures.
Zuma is expected to meet his backers, known as ‘Mapogoâ€, on Friday night. It is, however, understood that the ‘Taliban†has organised an urgent meeting with Mapogo leaders in a last-ditch bid to heal the rift.
On Sunday, Zuma will be guest speaker at the closing rally of the ANC Youth League’s 62nd anniversary celebrations at Matlosana Stadium in Klerksdorp. It is understood he enjoys ‘massive†support in Klerksdorp because it is a stronghold of both Mapogo and the South African National Civics Organisation.
Zuma’s visit is expected to revive the hopes of disgruntled Mapogo members who claim the Taliban has sidelined them from ANC structures and provincial and local government.
A Mapogo member, who asked not to be named, said Zuma planned to intensify his campaign in the province to ‘dispel the impression created by the Talibans that the North West ANC is pro-Mbeki and anti-Zumaâ€.
The provincial leadership nailed its colours to the mast by voicing its support for Mbeki at last year’s ANC national general council meeting.
‘Zuma is on a mission to find out whether he or Mbeki enjoys more support in the province,†said another provincial leader.
A senior provincial executive committee member said Molewa wanted to meet leaders of Mapogo on Friday, before Zuma’s Sunday address, because provincial leaders feared Zuma’s visit would accentuate the divisions.
The North West alliance secretariat has also called for a 10-a-side meeting on October 30 to end the squabbling that has paralysed service delivery in some municipalities. — Mbuyisi Mgibisa and Zukile Majova