The African National Congress (ANC) is not threatened by the new political party — the Congress of the People (Cope) — formed by dissidents, ANC policy committee chairperson, Jeff Radebe, said on Friday.
”I believe strongly that the base of the ANC is not threatened at all, as you have seen the support in the provinces when president Jacob Zuma visited recently.”
Radebe was addressing the media at the launch of the ruling party’s campaign inviting the public to submit their suggestions towards its 2009 election manifesto.
He said the ANC was launching the campaign to ask South Africans about the country they wanted to build, the goals they wanted to achieve and the things that would improve their communities and make their lives better.
”As part of the broad consultative process currently under way as the ANC develops its 2009 election manifesto, the organisation is asking members of the public to submit suggestions to address what they consider to be the main challenges facing the country,” said Radebe.
The ANC launched the campaign under the slogan of ”My ANC, My Vision, My Future.”
”The team will collate these suggestions into a report to be circulated at the ANC’s Manifesto Conference, which will be held from November 29 to December 1,” Radebe said.
The party would be taking people’s suggestions into consideration after the conference and the deadline for submissions was Friday December 12, the ANC said.
Meanwhile, ANC veteran Fatima Meer is not leaving the ruling party, spokesperson Carl Niehaus said on Friday.
”Meer is an old stalwart of the ANC and the information we received is that she is not leaving the ANC.”
Niehaus said one should be ”very careful” before using the names of elderly people such as Meer.
”What we heard was that [Mosiuoa] Lekota visited her and then a statement was made [that Meer was supporting Lekota’s breakaway faction]. It’s unacceptable to use her name when she did not say so.”
The newly formed party, Cope, announced on Thursday that Meer was supporting them instead of the ANC.
According to the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Meer made the announcement at her Durban home, where she was visited by Cope leader Lekota.
Meer told Cope officials that she no longer had faith in the ANC, the broadcaster reported.
Beeld quoted Meer as saying that she had not joined the new party, but supported what it stood for.
”What happened is that Mr Lekota came to see me at my house today [Thursday] and I told him I thought many of the things he is doing are brave. I support many of the things that he stands for. He is an old friend of mine,” Meer told the newspaper.
She would not be drawn on whether she would join the party formally at a later stage, or vote for it.
”But I will support the party,” she said.
Meer (80) participated in the passive resistance campaign of the 1940s and was an organiser of the 1956 pass protest by women at the Union Buildings. — Sapa