ANC elections head and Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has thrown his weight behind the campaign to retain Jacob Zuma as president of the ANC and South Africa after the party’s elective conference in 2012.
Mbalula’s call for Zuma to serve a second term as ANC president is the first by a senior national executive committee member.
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and ANC Free State chair and premier Ace Magashule have publicly backed a second term for Zuma. The ANC Youth League is also understood to support a second term.
Mbalula said: ”The ANC constitution does not debar anyone from standing for a second term. We share the view that he [Zuma] should stand for a second term as ANC president.”
He told the Mail & Guardian that, with other senior ANC leaders, he would work hard to persuade Zuma to stand again.
”If anyone opposes this, we’ll engage with that individual. From where I stand, it’s a foregone conclusion that JZ will continue as president of the party and country.
”He has done well [in both positions]. The structures of the ANC are happy with him. No one in the ANC feels threatened under his leadership.
”He has been able to keep us together as an organisation. If there are cracks in the ANC, they aren’t fundamental. I don’t see anyone who will want to change the composition of the ANC presidency.”
But Mbalula’s call comes as some ANC leaders are quietly positioning themselves for party leadership in 2012. The scramble for the hot seat was triggered by Zuma’s comments last year that he was prepared to serve only one term as state president.
Former social development minister Zola Skweyiya also told the M&G last year that Zuma had assured him he was only interested in serving one term.
In ANC tradition the deputy president takes over as the next president. Although Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is the obvious choice to replace Zuma as president, some within the ANC would prefer a different candidate.
Candidates who have been mentioned include human settlements minister and ANC national executive committee member Tokyo Sexwale, treasurer Mathews Phosa and SACP general secretary and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande.
ANC sources said this week the leaking of damaging information about Motlanthe’s role in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal was part of a campaign by some ANC leaders to eliminate him from the race.
Last week the Sunday Times reported that a government commission had named Motlanthe as being privy to information about businessman Sandile Majali’s shady oil deals with Iraq.
Mbalula compared Motlanthe with Zuma: ”This is what we have been dealing with regarding JZ. It’s a smear campaign.
”If you say Motlanthe is involved in an Oilgate scandal, it’s a character assassination. We can’t give this [report] credence,” said Mbalula.
He said he would support Motlanthe for a second term as ANC deputy leader. ”He’s perfect in his current position. He and Zuma complement each other.”
Mbalula refused to say whether he would stand for the position of ANC secretary general, as suggested by some in the youth league.