The African National Congress (ANC) on Friday extended an olive branch to defectors saying they would be welcomed back if they chose to return to the party.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said people who had left the ANC were returning and he wanted to ”open that option to everybody”.
The party was torn apart in the wake of the leadership battle between former president Thabo Mbeki and current party president Jacob Zuma.
This battle culminated in Mbeki being dismissed in the latter half of 2008, causing many of his followers to break away from the ANC and form a new party.
Led by the former defence minister Terror Lekota and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, the Congress of the People was formed — punted by analysts as the first real threat to ANC rule since the dawn of democracy.
ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said the invitation extended by Mantashe for people wanting to return to the ANC was open to everybody including those in leadership positions. — Sapa