Tycoon Tokyo Sexwale has thrown his weight behind African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma as both men cemented support in the most powerful voting bloc to go to the party’s crucial Polokwane national conference.
The Daily Dispatch reported that the two men adressed about 1 500 supporters in the small town of Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.
Zuma told the crowd, many of whom sported black ”100% Zuma” T-shirts, to ensure that they ”implement and execute the mandate from their branches”.
”Your duty is to implement and execute the mandate of your branches, nothing else. No delegate has a right to change the decision of the branch when they get to Limpopo,” Zuma said.
The Eastern Cape is sending the largest group of delegates — at least 886 representatives — to the conference.
The country’s former deputy president was apparently referring to allegations that the camp supporting President Thabo Mbeki was using sleazy tactics in a drive to win over delegates, including offering money, business opportunities and government jobs.
”If you change your decision you will be subverting democracy,” Zuma said.
He added: ”It is worrying that some people in the leadership are going out at night, trying to convince delegates by threatening and bribing them. It is worrying, comrades,” Zuma said.
In his speech, Sexwale threw his weight behind Zuma.
”Where is my T-shirt?” he asked in reference to T-shirts worn by his supporters earlier this year that said ”Tokyo for President.”
”I know what happened to my T-shirt. It’s the Zuma tsunami,” Sexwale said.
Without referring to Mbeki by name, he said: ”There is no leader that should be there forever. There is a time to lead and a time to follow.”
Sexwale urged delegates not sell their votes.
”Cadres, when you go to Limpopo you must be wary of people offering you money to buy away your vote. You should not be sell-outs. Do not sell the mandate that has been given to you by your branches.”
One of the surprise guests at the rally was Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, who arrived with hundreds of others.
”I don’t care who said what, Zuma is going to rule,” the crowd chanted before going over into Zuma’s campaign song, Umshini Wami.
One of the supporters, 72-year-old Luyanda Siyaliwa, said he was here because he wanted change.
”I don’t have anything against Mbeki. He has done his bit,” Siyaliwa said.
”But I support Zuma because I want change,” he said as he proudly showed off his Zuma T-shirt.
Ziyanda Mahlutshana (21) said she supported Zuma ”because he is closer to the people than his president [Mbeki”.
”Also, Mbeki’s policies like allowing gay people to get married, does not make sense,” she added.
‘Nothing goes wrong’
Meanwhile, Thabo Mbeki was hopeful on Tuesday that the ANC as a whole was conscious of its responsibility to ensure ”that nothing goes wrong” at the conference.
Mbeki told party members at an ANC fundraising dinner in Bloemfontein that there was a lot of ”commotion” over the question of leadership within the ANC to the point that it seemed that the ”ANC was established to elect leaders”.
Mbeki said the conference would have to answer critical questions, such as what the country must do about its poverty and equality challenges.
”What are the tasks of the ANC? We cannot say it is to elect leaders.”
While there had been major achievements, there were ”serious challenges” still facing the country.
These included how to deal with the country’s growth in terms of infrastructure, the skills shortage and challenges in education and health.
Mbeki also made his first ”public apology” for the country’s power problems related to Eskom’s load shedding.
”Eskom was right and government was wrong,” Mbeki said, indicating that the government was asked earlier to invest more in electricity to keep-up with the country’s growth.
Mbeki said the party had a serious challenge in that a lot of people who were card carrying-members, knew nothing about the ANC.
”Joining the ANC is good for the pocket. It is quite clear for some people it’s a passport to personal power and wealth.”
Mbeki said the party must expect this and discuss what to do about the political ”mercenaries” who used ANC membership cards for their own power. – Sapa