Politics of personality strangling ANC to death: iLIVE
If you were a foreigner visiting this country, you would think our politics is only about President Jacob Zuma and beleaguered ANC Youth League president Julius Malema. The two are consistently in the spotlight - and at loggerheads.
The politics of personalities appears to take precedence over bread and butter issues.
When then president Thabo Mbeki was recalled by the ANC, a few of his cabinet ministers resigned in allegiance to him.
Some of these ministers established a breakaway party called the Congress of the People, which is now on the brink of collapse.
The ruling party is now divided over Zuma and Malema.
The youth league leader wants Zuma replaced by the party's deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe.
On the other side, Zuma is fighting tooth and nail for re-election as party president.
The ANC always says the party is bigger than individuals, but if the power struggle between these two powerful leaders is not properly managed, the party will be adversely affected, as it has been in the past.
Not so long ago Malema was prepared to "kill for Zuma". That is no longer the case.
The two men are now sworn enemies. How quickly things change.
Interestingly, the youth league leader is now courting Mbeki, the same man he helped to bring down.
Motlanthe remains quiet about whether he hopes to become the party leader.
It is unclear if he harbours presidential ambitions, although there is a school of thought that he does desire to lead the ANC. If Motlanthe were open about this, the power struggle would be between him and Msholozi.
The sooner the ANC deals with the politics of personalities the better.
This kind of politics has the potential to destroy the oldest liberation movement on the continent. And the destruction of the ANC is not in the best interest of the party or the country.
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Politics of personality strangling ANC to death: iLIVE
For Commenters Consideration | Please stick to the subject matterCOMMENTS [1]
KhofuMoahloli
Posted 114 days agoI beleive Thabile is incorrect about the ministers who resigned when Thabo Mbeki was fired ny the ANC. The cabinet is appointed and serves at the pleasure of the incumbent president, and when he goes they go with him until/unless they are reappointed by the new president. Those who stayed then were known to be in cahoots with the Zuma camp and had already been assured of their reappointment. It is the Zuma camp that has tried to build a cult of Zuma - what of "We'll kill for Zuma", "100% Zulu Boy" etc. Polokwana 2007 moved from the interests of th ANC to the interests of Zuma and Co, and we are now reaping the fruit with Malema et al. Why is it now taboo to say we don't want Zuma anymore as leader while it could be loudly said with Mbeki. Because Zuma has become the ANC.