Helen Zille, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance and mayor of Cape Town, has called on President Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, the leader of the African National Congress, to convene an urgent meeting to discuss how they plan to prevent their conflict from paralysing the government.
“They must then explain to the public exactly how they will achieve a workable solution,” she said on Thursday.
Zille explained that now that every key leadership position in the ANC was filled by a Jacob Zuma supporter, it was clear that South Africa faced a “two centres of power” problem.
“Despite pledges of unity at the Polokwane conference, it has subsequently become clear that fundamental differences between Luthuli House and the Union Buildings are set to undermine government’s ability to function effectively,” she said.
“We have seen resolutions coming out of the Polokwane conference that fly in the face of current government policy. Marked differences over the functioning of the courts, HIV/Aids, Zimbabwe, the economy and South African Broadcasting Corporation funding have already emerged. There is no doubt that other disagreements over policy will come to the fore in the weeks and months ahead.”
Zille declared that divisions between the Zuma and Mbeki factions within the public service would have serious consequences for the implementation of government policy, severely compromising the state’s ability to deliver services.
“No doubt it will be the poorest members of our society who will suffer the most from this paralysis,” she said. — I-Net Bridge