/ 15 January 2007

Zuma: ANC will deal with leadership at appropriate time

There is ”no activity” in ruling party structures over the matter of leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) at present, its deputy president, Jacob Zuma, told the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Sunday night.

He said during an interview that the discussion about potential leaders — amid wide speculation that he is likely to be up against President Thabo Mbeki for the top post as ANC president — has been manufactured by the media.

Elements of the ANC — including the youth wing, which the interviewer noted had backed him — have responded to that speculation in the media.

When it was also put to him by the SABC interviewer that even the policy specialist in the Presidency, Joel Netshitenzhe, had said that the leadership issue has led to a paralysis in the organisation, Zuma said that he, too, is simply responding to the media debate about the leadership.

At the appropriate time, the branches of the organisation will deal with the matter — referring to the processes of branches making nominations for leadership.

He implied that that is the time when the leadership-selection process will begin. Branches are expected to begin the process about the middle of the year.

Referring to the incident of having to protect Mbeki against elements who protested against him, the interviewer asked Zuma if he had done enough to protect the head of state at that rally. The interviewer suggested that they had been Zuma supporters.

Zuma — who was dismissed as the nation’s deputy president in June 2005 — said that people who had appeared outside the court during his rape and corruption trials are his supporters.

But he questioned whether those who had upset a rally in Pietermaritzburg had been associated with him. He had nevertheless intervened. ”I stood up and stopped the people,” he said.

Asked about emerging candidates in the presidential campaign, Zuma said he has heard about some people mentioned in the media. Suggesting that this, too, is a media creation, Zuma said: ”Nobody in the ANC campaigns [for leadership].” He pointed out that no-one requires Anglo American to appoint a chief executive in public.

During the interview, Zuma devoted much time to the process of forging policy — noting that there is a policy conference of the ruling movement in June.

He repeatedly argued that policies forged are the collective wisdom of the movement, including its alliance partners.

The ANC took a policy decision ”which we implement. We all agree on those policies,” he said.

The ANC will hold its national conference in Limpopo in December, at which leadership elections will be held. — I-Net Bridge