Former president Thabo Mbeki has asked the African National Congress not to abuse or use his name falsely to promote the party.
This is according to a letter written by Mbeki to African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, excerpts of which were read by former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota on Talk Radio 702 on Thursday.
”As a small plea in this regard, I appeal that nobody should abuse or cite my name falsely to promote their parties and cause, including how the 2009 ANC election campaign will be conducted,” the nine-page letter states.
Mbeki said the ANC dissidents had not engaged him in any of the actions they had taken ”to secure my approval or otherwise”.
Lekota criticised the ANC for trying to use the letter to persuade people that ”we were this evil lord that the former president does not want to be associated with”.
”They say the former president distanced himself from us … I’m bold to say that is a misrepresentation, distortion and in fact, a fallacy.”
He said the ANC intended to mislead the public into suggesting that Mbeki was supporting it.
”The man [Mbeki] said, ‘I’m neutral in this matter’.”
In reference to ANC’s treatment of Mbeki, Lekota asked how one could discard people and then expect to use them later.
”How do you take a human being, say ‘this is an untrustworthy person, you can’t trust them’, just take him throw him in the rubbish bin?
”A week later … when you now need to win an election campaign, take him out, dust him off and now say ‘go and tell the people to vote for us’.”
Principles
The convention to be held this weekend is about constitutional principles that the leadership of the ANC has moved away from, said Lekota.
Speaking to about 120 people in Bloemfontein, Lekota said the group had made it clear that the convention had nothing to do with Mbeki.
”It has to do with the principle of the Freedom Charter, which clearly the present leadership of the ANC was not being loyal to and moved away from,” he told the gathering on Wednesday night.
Lekota said this was the basis of the new movement.
”If he [Mbeki] wants to come along that’s fine, but this is an independent movement guided and initiated by the fact that there are threats to the democracy we have found. That is it, period.”
‘Leave us in peace’
Meanwhile, Zuma on Thursday urged those who were planning to leave the party to do so and ”leave us in peace”.
Zuma, who was addressing the party faithful and mourners at the funeral of anti-apartheid activist Billy Nair in Durban, urged party members not to be ”swayed”.
”If you thought one day the you would leave the party your beliefs then remain questionable. We wish the adventurers luck.
”We expect the convention to unmask many others and that they will leave us in peace,” he said, adding that Nair had ”never turned his back on the movement”.
South Arican communist party secretary general Blade Nzimande said the party was facing many challenges and he ”was disappointed” at those who were leaving the party.
”In line with the Chinese, we will say that one should never lift a rock if its going to fall very hard on your feet,” he said.
Congress of South African Trade Unions president Sdumo Dlamini said he wanted to assure the ANC of the organisation’s support in the upcoming election. – Sapa