Mantashe vs Mbalula

Another succession battle is emerging in the ANC — this time between Gwede Mantashe, the party’s secretary general, and Fikile Mbalula, now a powerful national executive committee member.

Each has his supporters within the tripartite alliance to become the next ANC secretary general, who will be elected in Mangaung, Bloemfontein, in 2012.

With President Jacob Zuma likely to be retained unopposed as the ANC president, the contest for the party’s hot seat will shift to the position of secretary general.

The ANC Youth League, which has played a kingmaker role at past ANC conferences, favours Mbalula, formerly an ANC Youth League leader, as the next secretary general, wanting Mantashe to be shifted to the much less powerful position of party chairperson.

The ANC’s leftist allies — Cosatu and the South African Communist Party, which stood side by side with the youth league at Polokwane in backing Zuma — are pushing for the retention of ex-unionist Mantashe as Luthuli House boss.

Last week Mbalula said he was aware of the youth league’s plans to punt him as secretary general in 2012.

‘I’m not prepared to say if I’ll take the position. What I know is that there’s a discussion. I can’t declare [my interest] in the media. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. For now, my focus is on the task that I’ve been given as deputy minister.”

Mantashe said he was not prepared to get into such a debate three years before the ANC conference.

The battle for the control of the ANC is likely to deepen tensions within the ruling party, as both men have their supporters.

Mbalula is credited with steering a successful ANC election campaign this year; Mantashe is praised for raising the profile of the secretary general’s post to one of the party’s most powerful positions.

Mbalula’s supporters point out that he was proposed as a candidate for the job of secretary general at Polokwane but that, for strategic reasons, this move was abandoned.

‘We deliberately took a decision to suppress it then, so that it does not look like we’re doing it for ourselves,” a former youth league leader told the Mail & Guardian.

‘With Mbaks [Mbalula’s nickname] there’s a big heart located in a young body. He grew up in the ANC and his level of influence tells you what kind of a man you’re talking about. In his understanding of the ANC he has grown above some of those who are older than him.

‘The strength of the secretary general is not in how you write minutes but in your politics and understanding of the organisation. Mbalula has clarity of policy perspective,” he said.

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said that although the union did not want to enter the succession race, it had taken a principled position to defend Mantashe.

‘The ANC is contested by different class forces and this is epitomised by the attack on Mantashe. Our defence of him is based on principle. We can’t allow the soul of the ANC to be taken by those who want a different direction. The ANC is on the right path. We’re happy with Mantashe. He’s part of the collective responsible for delivering on the Polokwane mandate.”

The Young Communist League announced last week that it wants the ANC’s ‘top six” retained in their positions after the 2012 conference.

‘We’re aware of a systematic, organised campaign against the secretary general of the ANC and want to condemn such actions,” the league said in a statement. ‘These attempts also seek to put Mbalula against Mantashe and should never be allowed to succeed.”

ANC insiders told the M&G this week that some within the party were uncomfortable with Mantashe’s tough leadership style. His critics also complained that he was not steeped in ANC traditions, as was shown by his public pronouncements on sensitive ANC issues.

But others defended him. Said one ANC official: ‘When he was elected, some leaders thought they would drive him to do things their way. Now they realise they can’t dictate to him.

‘They haven’t woken up to the idea of changing the organisation. [Mantashe’s] leadership style is frank and open; unlike the previous secretary general [Kgalema Motlanthe] he does not hide problems.

‘His upfront approach in dealing with ministers and rooting out corruption has shocked many people. His insistence that officials declare their business interests is a change of tune. Some people are likely to be affected because it interferes with their plans.”

The source said Mantashe’s hard line on the need to separate political and business interests has angered some party members.

‘People come to the head office to say he should motivate for them to get tenders. It’s an open secret that the previous leadership spent more time facilitating deals. Now because Gwede wants to do things correctly, he’s seen as an enemy,” said the ­official.

Mantashe recently wrote in ANC Today that ‘the biggest threat to our movement is the intersection between business interests and holding of public office.

‘If we do not deal decisively with this tendency, the ANC will only move one way — downward.”