Mbeki set to open decisive Eastern Cape congress
The star Online
Monday, November 27, 2006
President Thabo Mbeki is likely to open this week's crucial Eastern Cape ANC congress, regarded as an important curtain-raiser for the ruling party's national congress, where his successor will be chosen.
Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George, regarded as Mbeki's staunchest ally in the ANC's divided heartland, confirmed the attendance of the man who, it is understood, hopes to get the province back into his fold after years of dissent.
"He has been invited. He will be there," George told The Star on Saturday.
The outcome of the Eastern Cape congress is widely seen as critical for the intense succession battle in the ruling party ahead of its national congress in December next year, with Eastern Cape candidates winning the top post without fail for 40 uninterrupted years.
It is an open secret that should Mbeki-aligned candidates gain control of the Eastern Cape, traditionally the largest delegation to national congresses, they would deliver the province to him and his candidate.
The conference starts at Fort Hare University on Wednesday.
Tensions have been high between the Mbeki camp and the more populist faction close to current provincial chairperson Makhenkesi Stofile. This grouping has for more than a decade thwarted numerous attempts to wrest control of the province from them.
But several recent interventions have apparently ensured a strong comeback by the pro-Mbeki grouping, although a fierce contest is expected.
George also confirmed that his powerful Amatole region had been in consultation with other largely pro-Mbeki regions in an effort to find a replacement candidate for the position of provincial secretary.
This followed the final withdrawal of embattled ANC chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe on Friday night. Goniwe confirmed this on Saturday after a week of confusion over whether he would stand while under a cloud of allegations over the sexual harassment of a 21-year-old parliamentary worker and non-payment of maintenance for some of his children.
Goniwe, who is facing a disciplinary hearing, was put forward by the pro-Mbeki regions.
A number of other names have been put forward to replace Goniwe, but it appears that the Amatole region's little-known candidate, Siphato Handi, the ANC secretary in Buffalo City (part of the Amatole region), is the frontrunner.
He is a former anti-apartheid youth and civics leader and East London mayoral adviser, and also made a name for himself as a boxing promoter.
The ANC Youth League in the province has confirmed that it is now also behind Handi after previously punting provincial ANC spokesperson Mahlubandile Qwashe, who is now the candidate for provincial treasurer.
As nominations are already in, George said the new candidate would have to be proposed from the floor. "I am confident that we will make the 25% threshold easily," he said.
The position of provincial secretary is being contested by the more populist faction's candidate, the provincial chair of the SA Communist Party, Phumolo Masaulle, who is supported by most ANC alliance partners in the Eastern Cape, where they have an unusually strong representation in ANC branches.
Masaulle and the two candidates for the chairmanship, Stone Sizani, who was put forward by the Mbeki camp, and Mcibici Jonas, who has the support of the Left, were all pressured to stand down from previous posts in 2002 amid allegations of corruption when Mbeki sent in ANC and government task teams to sort out the infighting and non-delivery in the province.
This was widely seen as an attempt to dictate to the fiercely independent structures of the province, leading to lingering perceptions of persecution and purges.
Discussion documents for the congress are still being finalised but it is understood that the provincial executive has already rubber-stamped a version of an explosive analysis of the state and economic transformation. A draft of the document was discussed at the provincial ANC's general council meeting in Port Elizabeth in July.
Jonas, along with current Agriculture MEC Gugile Nkwinti, the authors of the draft, argued that only a major overhaul of the constitution to tackle "class contradictions in property ownership" would solve the ongoing public spats between the ANC and its alliance partners.
Closer in its analysis to the incisive criticism contained in recent Cosatu and SA Communist Party discussion documents, the draft text suggested that state organs were still being controlled by reactionary forces, while state policies made transformation and social cohesion almost impossible.
