Former deputy minister of defence Mluleki George is a key driver of the campaign for a new party. He spoke to Mandy Rossouw.
The ANC is still holding out for a reconciliation. Do you see that happening?
I don’t know. They’ve arranged to meet [Mosiuoa] Lekota but Lekota is not working alone, it’s a collective. But we have full confidence that he will answer the questions.
It depends on whether the comrades are honest in wanting to find a solution. We’ve spoken to leaders before and what they say and what they do are two different things.
There’s a lot of movement and it will be difficult to stop.
Our problems go deep. If you go to an ANC meeting insults are thrown across the board; these must be addressed. The ANC leadership doesn’t see this as a problem, but we want to see a resolution of these problems. I listened to [NEC member] Enoch Godongwana this morning — they are oversimplifying the issues.
You say money is not important for your political formation. Does that mean you have enough financial backing?
Of course we’re going to need money, we can’t deny that. But there’s a lot of goodwill out there; surely we’ll raise money once we get going. I was phoned by senior church members who said: ”We don’t really have money, but where can we contribute?” I know of black companies that will give money to us.
You and the ANC leadership are both accusing each other of not allowing dissenting views. Isn’t the mud-slinging distracting you from launching the new party?
I don’t want to get into mud-slinging with the ANC, but I’m not leaving it happy, I’m injured. I will never attack leaders of the ANC, even if I go on to campaign. But you hit the nail on the head. Once you get into mud-slinging you are distracted from what you believe is right. We must discuss issues, not individuals. No one can say I’m faultless; we all have faults. But mud-slinging will just distract us and make us lose focus.
Why resign now? Wouldn’t it have carried more weight if you had resigned your government job?
You must understand I resigned; I wasn’t fired. I couldn’t have done this as a deputy minister. I resigned because I realised this was leading to a cul-de-sac. I resigned because I wanted freedom to do what I want to do. If you are an MP and you say things like this, you get called in by the chief whip and have to explain yourself.
Why do you describe your grouping as the ‘real ANC’?
It’s clear for us that the ANC now is not what it used to be. That’s why we’re talking of [the new formation as] the ANC of 1912. That ANC that cared for its cadres and would never try to humiliate its deployees like they did with Comrade Mbeki. [The firing of Mbeki] was not trying to solve any problems, it was driven by vengeance and anger. Good comrades don’t do that to other comrades. He was supposed to go to the United Nations when he was recalled! You don’t humiliate someone like that.
Why is everyone so tight-lipped about the new formation? Are your supporters scared of being victimised?
This weekend you will hear them coming out. Life is about risk. You can’t say you won’t go to work because you’re scared of being in an accident or being mugged. You say to yourself: ”I have to do it for my children.”
Have you done any research on the support a new formation will have?
We’ve done our homework. We’ve looked at all the options and believe this is a viable option. We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t know it will succeed.