Claims of a plot to assassinate African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma should be treated seriously, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) said on Wednesday.
”We call on the police and other relevant law-enforcement agencies to do everything in their power to get to the source of this matter,” ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula told reporters in Johannesburg.
On Friday, the Mail & Guardian ran a story about a plot to kill Zuma.
It said an unidentified man told police he was a former member of the old South African Defence Force and had been offered R1-million to assassinate Zuma.
Mbalula said rumours of an assassination plot had been doing the rounds for some time.
”We need to reveal the people and their agenda behind this act of cowardice.”
He said any such plot was a threat to the country’s democracy.
Asked if they had proof of the reported plot, Mbalula said this was difficult.
”You can’t prove an assassination plot … the only proof is when a person is dead.”
Similar claims were made about former South African Communist Party general secretary Chris Hani before he was assassinated in 1993, Mbalula said.
”Whether you believe these allegations or not … they must be investigated and must not be taken lightly,” he said.
”There is prima facie evidence in this issue, someone has come out and said: ‘I was hired to assassinate the deputy president’.”
Mbalula said Zuma had been a loyal party member for a long time and had become a symbol of hope to millions of indigent and marginalised South Africans.
”It’s his credentials that make him vulnerable to those who are opposed to democracy, who then resort to unconventional means to eliminate those who do not subscribe to their views,” Mbalula said.
”They fear democracy, dialogue and persuasion, because they know their agenda represents backwardness, and will nonetheless be defeated by the masses of our people.”
Mbalula could not name those the league thought were behind the plot.
He said the ANCYL could not say the assassination plot was linked to the race to succeed President Thabo Mbeki.
The ANCYL repeated its support for Zuma to succeed Mbeki as president of the ANC and the country.
Mbalula said the league would continue to support Zuma even if corruption charges against laid against him.
”We’ll stand up and raise our voices against any injustice against any individual.”
The league had no alternative leader who it would nominate to succeed Mbeki.
”This is not like a soccer match. We don’t have a substitute.”
Meanwhile, the ANCYL had held discussions in preparation for the ANC’s policy conference in June. Mbalula said the league concluded that the draft strategy and tactics document was not adequate.
”The document is very quiet about the role of monopoly capital, which has always been characterised as the enemy of the revolution.”
On the ANC’s alliance partners, the league said the South African National Civic Organisation was redundant and should not be considered part of the alliance.
”The ANC must deal with civic issues directly.”
The league also rejected the notion of ”two centres of power” and said: ”The president of the ANC will be the president of our country.”
The league proposed lowering the voting age to 16, starting with the 2009 national elections.
The current voting age is 18 years.
Mbalula said the Constitution advocated a single police force.
”We therefore need to move with speed to integrate the many law-enforcement agencies under one command, including the Scorpions,” Mbalula said. — Sapa