A group of senior ANC leaders aligned to party president Jacob Zuma is planning to approach President Thabo Mbeki in the next few weeks with a proposal to appoint ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe as the country’s deputy president, the Mail & Guardian has established.
The group is also intending to ask Mbeki to make changes to the Cabinet’s security cluster, comprising the departments of intelligence, safety and security, secret services and defence, which are dominated by Mbeki’s loyalists.
The new developments come as the Zuma-dominated national executive committee (NEC) begins to exercise its political power.
The impending move by the Zuma camp was confirmed to the M&G by three different ANC sources close to Luthuli House: a senior leader of the ANC Youth League, a provincial executive committee member and a senior NEC member.
The three leaders told the M&G there was near consensus in different quarters within the ANC that Motlanthe should become the country’s deputy president.
The Zuma camp will ask Mbeki either to take Motlanthe as the country’s second deputy president or redeploy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to make way for Motlanthe.
‘Whatever option he chooses is not an issue for us. What we know is that we want Kgalema [Motlanthe] as the country’s deputy president,†said the ANCYL source.
He added that the Zuma camp would also ask Mbeki to make changes to the Cabinet’s security cluster, but did not provide details. Currently, the security cluster is packed with Mbeki’s allies such as Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils.
The new chairperson of the ANC’s subcommittee for peace and stability, Siphiwe Nyanda, will be in a good position to take one of these posts, given his experience as former South African National Defence Force boss.
ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa has reportedly confirmed that the ANC leadership was discussing Motlanthe’s future role and deployment.
‘We are discussing the matter of how effectively we can extract value out of the deputy president — it’s a matter we have discussed in the officials’ meeting, but we want to put him to very good use,†said Phosa.
In terms of the ANC constitution, the ANC deputy president is not a full-time employee and cannot draw a salary from the party.
The Zuma camp believes Motlanthe’s deployment as the country’s deputy president will close the gap between the government and the ANC, and ensure a smooth transition after the 2009 election. Zuma supporters also believe Motlanthe is best placed to monitor Mbeki’s government to ensure effective implementation of policy decisions taken at the recent ANC conference in Polokwane.
The Zuma camp’s push for Motlanthe as the country’s deputy president could also be read as a strategic move by the ANC leadership to prepare him for the country’s top job, should Jacob Zuma be convicted on corruption and fraud charges. Zuma’s corruption trial is due to begin in August this year.
An Mbeki loyalist told the M&G he was aware of the discussions about asking Mbeki to appoint Motlanthe as the country’s deputy president.
‘Such a move will go a long way to address the two centres of power issue and address the breach between the two groups — the ANC leadership and government leadership. Kgalema is acceptable to both groups. He needs to familiarise himself to understand how government machinery works to prepare himself if JZ [Zuma] came into a difficult position. Someone must be there to step in and know how things work.â€
It will bring stability in government and will allow Motlanthe to articulate some of the concerns that have been raised about implementation. It will also help manage the transition when Mbeki steps down in 2009.
‘That is when Motlanthe will play a pivotal role. This tension is not good for the economy and we can’t afford that. It will take a concerted effort by the ANC to address the tensions and work together.â€
The Mbeki government has increasingly come under pressure from Zuma supporters in the past few years for failing to implement ANC policies. Delegates at the Polokwane conference made it clear that this should change.
Already, the Zuma-led new ANC leadership has begun to make crucial changes in critical positions within the ANC. This week the new ANC national working committee, dominated by the Zuma camp, kicked out almost all Mbeki allies from ANC sub-committees and replaced them with those who are perceived to be sympathetic to Zuma.
The Mbeki loyalists ejected include Smuts Ngonyama as head of communication sub-committee and Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota as head of the organisation’s parliamentary political committee. Ngonyama has been replaced by Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan and Lekota was replaced by National Assembly Speaker and new ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete.
Ringing in the changes
New chairpersons for ANC sub-committees:
Organisation building and campaigns: Fikile Mbalula
Communication and drafting: Pallo Jordan
Constitutional affairs: Collins Chabane
Commission on religious affairs : Mathole Motshekga
Economic transformation: Max Sisulu
Education and health: Zweli Mkhize
Elections: Jessie Duarte
International relations: Ebrahim Ebrahim
Legislature and governance: Lynne Brown
National appeals committee: Cyril Ramaphosa
National disciplinary committee: Zola Skweyiya
National finance committee: Mathews Phosa
Parliamentary political committee: Baleka Mbete
Peace and stability: Siphiwe Nyanda
Policy committee: Jeff Radebe
Political education and ideological work: Lyndall Shope-Mafole
Social transformation: Lindiwe Sisulu
Labour committee: Enoch Godongwana
Committee on realignment of opposition forces: Valli Moosa
Awards panel: Pallo Jordan