Former ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe “created disorder” in the governing party when he challenged President Jacob Zuma’s leadership in 2012.
This is according to David “DD” Mabuza, the ANC provincial chairman in Mpumalanga, who is in the running for the party’s top job.
Speaking to the Sunday Times at his state house in Nelspruit, Mabuza said Motlanthe “broke the ANC tradition” of a deputy president awaiting to be elected to high office, allowing factionalism to deepen in the governing party.
It was undesirable for a sitting president to be challenged while he had another office term to serve, said Mabuza.
The ANC would not be facing a fierce and divisive leadership battle today had Motlanthe stayed on as Zuma’s deputy, he said.
“Yes, he [Motlanthe] created disorder. According to me, coming to this conference [the ANC elective congress in December this year], it was going to be easy if comrade Kgalema was there, we were going to proceed,” said Mabuza.
The Mpumalanga strongman also pointed his guns at Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying Ramaphosa was also out order after he publicly declared his availability to be elected as Zuma’s successor.
Mabuza said it was not up to Ramaphosa to decide which position he should be elected to, arguing that only ANC branches could decide who to put in leadership positions.
“Don’t tell us, ‘No, I’ve got this ambition’. It’s not about your ambition, it’s about how we feel as an organisation whether you’re going to be helpful to us,” said Mabuza.
Motlanthe and Ramaphosa, through their spokespeople, declined to comment on what Mabuza said.
Mabuza is one of the frontrunners in the ANC’s leadership race.
Mpumalanga has stated that it is time for him to be elected to a prominent national leadership position after he served three terms as its provincial chairman and two as premier.
Read the full article on Sunday Times