African National Congress (ANC) leaders will not agree to a compromise candidate in the party’s presidential race because this could spark a rebellion among members, ANC national chairperson Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota said this week.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Mail & Guardian, Lekota also:
- Accused Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi of knowing nothing about the workings of the ANC and of saying “anything that comes into his head”;
- Insisted there are no policy differences between Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, so the ANC was not at risk of splitting;
- Ascribed the “problems” in the ANC to the “emotional trauma” some members felt when Zuma was sacked from the Cabinet;
- Again attacked “tribalism” among Zuma’s supporters, but emphatically denied he is an Mbeki supporter.
Asked whether adopting a candidate other than Mbeki or Zuma would avert further damage to the ANC, Lekota said: “The tension between Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma’s supporters is normal and natural — it’s robust democracy. If we as leadership come out giving guidance and direction towards a third candidate, our members will rebel against us, saying we’re prescriptive.”
Lekota said ANC leaders should not tell members who to vote for. “There will be a rebellion from our members if the leadership suggests a leader. They will say: why are you telling us how to vote? We want to do this ourselves.”
He insisted that the contest would not split the party. Only Cosatu’s Vavi was talking of a possible split.
“Take it from me, we will meet in Limpopo and we will not split. The only person who speaks about a split in the ANC is our Mr Zwelinzima Vavi and we all know that he talks from the top of his head.
“He has very little experience, if any, of the workings of the ANC — he is not even a member of the national executive committee. He just walks around and says anything that comes into his head.”
Lekota said only those who did not understand democracy were afraid of the leadership struggle between Mbeki and Zuma.
“If there were policy differences between Mbeki and Zuma then I would say the alarm bells should ring; and only then would I agree that the organisation is facing a crisis.
“But there are no policy differences — the organisation is strong. You will tell me a year from now, ‘Terror, you were right. The ANC is not divided; it’s normal, natural tension.’ Everybody is going to come to peace with the fact that one or the other candidate won.”
Lekota argued that the ANC had had numerous leadership battles in its 95-year history, many worse than the present conflict.
“In the 1930s JT Gumede stood against Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, who then broke away and formed what was then called ‘The Independent ANC’,” he said. “In the 1940s ZR Mahabane stood against AB Xuma and Xuma won by one vote.”
Lekota said that in 1991, when Harry Gwala stood against Walter Sisulu for the deputy presidency, “people asked Sisulu: ‘Hey, why are you doing this? Nobody must do this.’ He said: ‘I myself will vote for Sisulu; all these delegates have never experienced democracy in the organisation because they’ve been banned.’”
Lekota said a split was possible only if there was no common ground. This had happened in 1958, when the PAC broke away because of the ANC’s insistence on the non-racial policy set out in the Freedom Charter.
“But we’re dealing with the issue of preference here. Some people prefer Zuma to run the organisation; others prefer another candidate. That’s how democracy works — we can all prefer different candidates.”
Asked about his relationship with Zuma, he burst out laughing. “We’re comrades.
“The problem the organisation is having is because some people feel sympathetic to comrade Zuma because he was removed from his position as the country’s deputy president — even though the president had, constitutionally, no choice but to remove him.
“Many of our comrades have not overcome the emotional trauma of seeing one of their comrades being removed from a position in which they believed he should have stayed.”
In recent weeks Lekota has harshly condemned Zuma supporters wearing pro-Zuma T-shirts to ANC meetings. He insisted “this is not because of the man”.
“I would have said the same if Tokyo Sexwale’s face was on the T-shirts. We can wear only regalia that has been sanctioned by the organisation to our meetings.
“I don’t know if comrade Zuma made or paid for or produced those T-shirts. Cyril Ramaphosa might have as much money as he wishes, but he can’t just go and print T-shirts that his supporters can wear to ANC meetings.”
Lekota said his main objection to the pro-Zuma shirts was the tribal messages they often carry.
“The ANC was founded on an anti-tribalism platform; since 1912 it has been talking about the ‘demon of tribalism’. Tribalism is a very dangerous thing.
“Whoever came up with this phrase ‘100% Zuluboy’ is instigating the fires and flames of tribalism. I think those T-shirts call for tribal thinking and we must reject that.
“It’s a scandal to be associated with tribalism in the ANC, an utter scandal.”
Lekota emphatically denied accusations that he forfeited his neutrality as ANC chair and increasingly emerged as an Mbeki supporter. “Zuma and I are comrades and leaders of the ANC — what more do you want me to say?
“Whoever is elected by the conference as the president must be accepted by all members as the leader for the next five years. Anybody not prepared to do that will probably withdraw from the ANC.
“I’m nobody’s man; I’m an ANC man. I don’t belong to anybody. I am not loyal to Thabo Mbeki — I am loyal to the ANC.”
Lekota said he did not expect to be elected to any leadership position at Polokwane, but said he was confident of remaining an NEC member.
Lekota has been nominated by Mbeki supporters for the post of secretary general, but sounded doubtful when asked if he would give up his Cabinet post if elected.
“I’ve not been approached by any province for a leadership position — I don’t have anything to say about the secretary general’s position,” he said.