Mandela clan backs Zuma

Presidential hopeful and ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma received a boost from the Mandela family this week as the race to see who will be the next leader of the party and the country enters the home stretch.

Although Nelson Mandela chose to keep mum throughout the bitter succession battle, his former wife and grandson have come out in support of a Zuma presidency for South Africa.

Former ANC Women’s League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said on Wednesday that the status quo should be retained, meaning President Thabo Mbeki should remain president of the ANC while Zuma stays on as deputy president.

This will put Zuma in the prime position to take over the national presidency.

Madikizela-Mandela cemented this proposal by saying that the Polokwane conference should pass a resolution ensuring that Zuma will be the ‘firm and assured” candidate nominated by the ANC to become national president in 2009.

In a letter directed to ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe she suggested a ‘solution” to the on-going corruption investigation of Zuma, who might be charged next year.

She also proposed that of the top six ANC officials three should be women, reflecting the gender parity resolution that will be discussed at the conference.

The new national executive committee, to which Madikizela-Mandela has been nominated, must reflect the diversity of opinions and views of all sections of the movement.

Her plan to meet Mbeki and Zuma had not materialised by Thursday and neither of the contenders had clear plans to meet her before the conference.

Lobbyists for Mbeki said that although ‘the chief will not refuse to meet Winnie”, her solution is ‘not realistic or workable”.

‘We’re going to the ballot, that thing of status quo is out of the question.”

Zuma was in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday and will make only a pit-stop in Johannesburg before departing for Polokwane.

He was due to visit the Mandela homestead in Mvezo outside Mthatha on Tuesday, but it is believed that 30 minutes before he was due to arrive Madiba’s personal assistant phoned his grandson and chief of the clan, Mandla Mandela, to tell him not to host Zuma.

‘They had made all the preparations that we normally do when we have an important person coming over. They were going to slaughter a sheep or a cow.

‘But then Mandela’s personal assistant phoned and said to Mandla Mandela he should not do it because it would look as if Madiba was taking sides. Mandla Mandela did not take Zuma to the homestead, but he did speak at the Engcobo rally organised by Zuma supporters. He made it clear that he supported the branches of the area and they support Zuma,” an ANC source said.

Madiba’s former director general, Jakes Gerwel, insists that Mandla Mandela acted in his own right and not on behalf of his grandfather.

‘He [Madiba] is a little worried about the lack of unity in the party, but he has full confidence that the party will be able to deal with it. He is 89 years old and will leave it to the current leaders to ensure the party gets back on track.”