Meanwhile, our new president... who will merely be a stooge of Jacob Zuma. He'll do the paperwork, get the salary, but the real decisions will be taken by Zuma. Who do they think they're bluffing?
Quote:
Cape Town - People have seen Kgalema Motlanthe as a possible presidential candidate for five years or more, ever since there were fears that Jacob Zuma could be crippled by the fraud and corruption charges being prepared against him.
Once he was elected as Zuma's deputy at Polokwane last December he was canvassed so often as a likely candidate if Zuma disappeared into a legal pothole, that he seemed to come to believe it himself.
Questioned in public on the subject, he declared he would rather be scouting for new talent for Bafana-Bafana, but as Die Burger reported at the time: "Few present believed him."
He was deployed to Parliament to serve in the Mbeki cabinet to act as a bridge between the outgoing government and the one coming in. He was given the job of minister in the presidency, and took over from deputy president Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka in the task of leading the government's Parliamentary business.
Although he nailed his colours to the star of Jacob Zuma, he has been described as an independent thinker who is not afraid to speak his mind.
He is a man of compromise, so when Ebrahim Rasool was fired by the new ANC, he spotted a possible danger to the party in the Western Cape, and moved to neutralise it by appointing Rasool to his staff.
This did not go down well with the firebrands in the Zuma camp, and he has since been accused again of grooming himself to take over the presidency.
Born in 1949, the youngest of 13 children, Motlanthe was early on influenced by the revolutionary ideologies of the Black Consciousness Movement of Steve Biko. He was detained by the apartheid government in 1977 at the age of 28, the year after the Soweto uprising.
In 1967 he had been detained for 11 months for pursuing the aims of the liberation movement African National Congress. He was later sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Robben Island.
Shortly after his release he followed Cyril Ramaphosa as secretary- general of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Ramaphosa became secretary-general of the ANC but in 1997, disappointed by the succession of Thabo Mbeki, Ramaphosa retired from politics. Kgalema was elected in his place.
In last year's bitter ANC succession battle, Motlanthe featured on the lists of both Mbeki and Zuma supporters for a position in the top six to be elected at the party's conference in Polokwane.
His political style is ponderous, and he is not a charismatic speaker, although he has a gently humorous turn of phrase, but is also known for his lengthy speeches.
He has high regard for process and consultation, and his ten years as secretary-general has given him unrivalled knowledge of the ANC way of doing things and a useful idea of where many bodies are buried.
He also earned a reputation as a grassroots worker who visited the various branches and kept in contact with ordinary rank and file members. But in his report to the conference in Polokwane, he had to frankly admit that the organisation he administered was not in a healthy state, and would need much work before being ready to face the electorate.
He is seen as a peacemaker, and when Mbeki demanded that the ANC executive discipline or axe deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, he said that he did not see any need for her to be disciplined as she was not in breach of the ANC constitution.
Some controversy arose in his career when his name came up in allegations that the ANC received financial aid from the Iraqi government when the party found itself in a financial bind. - I-Net Bridge
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
How would you want to see the ANC develop if they were to split into another party?
What I would like to see, is a coalition, a completely new alignment. A split in the ANC, assuming that the breakaway party gathers significant support, which I believe it will, will create exactly that situation. The ANC as such has served its purpose, and has no place anymore in the current South Africa. It is not a normal political party, it is bound together in its struggle against apartheid, which no longer exists. It maintains its hold over the electorate by reminding people of apartheid, by keeping the bogeyman alive, instead of concentrating on the future. The sooner the ANC disappears from the political scene, the better, the same way the National Party disappeared. Both are dinosaurs from the past. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
A new party now seems to be a certainty. Problem is, our electoral system means that anyone who breaks away to help form a new party, will lose his seat in parliamnet. So those involved are keeping mum about it. It will probably happen shortly before next year's general election. A survey done shows considerable support for a new party. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Bummer! In our system, you ostensibly vote for the person, not their party, so a sitting member can switch allegiences during their term and still remain in office until their term is up -- it has only happened a few times, but it has happened. But then, we don't assign seats based on apportionment of votes -- it's just one individual versus another at the polls. _________________ An apple a day....
There have been quite a few developments here recently, and the big news is that there has been a huge breakaway from the ANC. A new party will be formed by the rebels on 16 December. Indications are strong that they will attract a lot of votes from former ANC supporters, and it's quite possible that the ANC will lose its majority on national level, as well as in most provinces, in next year's general election. This will lead to a coalition government nationally, as well as in most provinces, which will be a good thing. Predictions are that this is the beginning of the end for the ANC, and that it will be shattered into many pieces over the next few years. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Johannesburg - The splinter group's new political party will likely be known as the South African Democratic Congress, the SABC reported on Sunday.
The party will be named also be registered on Monday, it said.
A decision to oppose the ANC in next year's election was taken in the national convention in Sandton on Saturday.
The party will be formally constituted in Bloemfontein only on December 16, but co-leader Mbhazima Shilowa told delegates at the closing session of the convention that it could not be a "no-brand name" until then.
On the eve of the convention, the ANC launched a bid in the Pretoria High Court for an interdict against the use of what seemed the most likely name, the SA National Congress, as well as the SA National Convention.
The ANC said it was protecting its "trademark, name and identity
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
So does that mean that this splinter group will lose their seats in Parliament?
They will, but the next general election is due in April 2009, so it's only for a few months. At this stage it seems the new party has more support than anybody suspected. They could win in several provinces, or at least be part of a coalition government with some other opposition parties, such as the Democratic Alliance (which I support). _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Well, the ANC seems to be cracking up totally now, with almost daily defections from them. Next year's elections are going to be very interesting. Of course, the ANC keeps saying that they are not threatened, and will win another landslide victory. But it's as clear as daylight that they are worried, very worried... _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
The results of by-elections held yesterday are very intereesting....
Quote:
Cope scores in by-election
11/12/2008 08:19 - (SA)
Wendell Roelf
Cape Town - A breakaway faction of the ruling African National Congress won 10 of 27 contested municipal by-elections in the Western Cape, electoral officials said on Thursday.
The by-elections were widely seen as an important gauge of support for the Congress of the People (Cope), formed after senior leaders defected from the ANC in protest at the ousting of former president Thabo Mbeki.
Cope candidates stood as independents in Wednesday's by-elections because the grouping has not yet officially registered as a political party. It plans to launch formally on December 16.
"The ANC won 3 seats, the (Cope) independents 10, Democratic Alliance 9 and the Independent Democrats 5 of the 27 seats contested in the Western Cape," said regional electoral officer Courtney Sampson.
The ANC did not contest 12 of the 27 seats in the Western Cape. Across the country, a total of 41 by-elections were contested and results were due from other areas.
ANC split
The ANC has ruled Africa's biggest economy with a huge majority since the end of apartheid in 1994, but the party's dominance is being challenged by the split and a corruption case hanging over its leader, Jacob Zuma.
He has dismissed the breakaway faction as irrelevant, but ANC officials are worried about more defections and have gone to court to prevent the new grouping from using the name Congress of the People.
Cope has vowed to contest a national parliamentary election due in 2009.
Foreign investors are closely watching voting patterns amid fears the ANC will tilt to the left under Zuma.
Since 1994, the ANC has been unable to win an outright majority in the Western Cape where the official opposition Democratic Alliance runs the city of Cape Town.
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Location: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:30 am Post subject:
So what's next? Do you foresee a smooth transition?
On a separate but related note, I just read this heartbreaking story about Sandra Laing, a white woman who was born "black". I'd never heard of her before, but apparently her story is well known in SA. It's shocking how this was how people used to treat each other back then.
So what's next? Do you foresee a smooth transition?
On a separate but related note, I just read this heartbreaking story about Sandra Laing, a white woman who was born "black". I'd never heard of her before, but apparently her story is well known in SA. It's shocking how this was how people used to treat each other back then.
Another series of by-elections will take place soon, probably in February. One result of the by-elections which took place now, is that the balance of power in several local councils had tilted in favour of the opposition, and if this trend continues in the coming by-elections, the ANC will lose control over several more councils. The general elections (for parliament and provincial legislatures) is due in April 2009, and that will be the biggest test. Current predictions are that the ANC will lose at least three provinces (currently it controls all nine).
How smooth such a transtion will be, is an interesting question. When the ANC lost control over the Cape Town city council in 2007 to a coalition of parties, several attempts were made by the ANC to win back control, sometimes with underhand methods. But in the end it did peacefully accept its loss of power. This is a good sign, but it still remains to be seen how it will accept a loss of power on a wider scale.
Yes, the story of Sandra Laing was tragic. It's a wellknown story here. Perhaps one of the most awful aspects of apartheid was the effect race classification had on people. It happened in many cases that members of the same family were classified differently. That effectively meant that families were split, since they couldn't have "normal" contact. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
The split in the ANC has indeed happened, leading to the formation of the Congress of the People (Cope). The ANC's support was reduced during the general election in April, losing a lot of support nationwide. It gained support in only one province, KwaZulu-Natal, at the expence of the Inkatha Freedom Party. In the remaining eight provinces its support dropped sharply, and it lost power to the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
A number of South Africa’s opposition parties are considering banding together to take on the ANC in the 2011 local government elections.
The Democratic Alliance, Congress of the People, United Democratic Movement and the Independent Democrats have been in talks since November despite denying any form of negotiations taking place ahead of the general elections earlier this year.
Political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi said in-fighting among opposition parties had cast doubt on whether they could create a force to be reckoned with.
“In entering into a coalition, with the Congress of the People, some of these political parties will have to be aware that there is a possibility of collateral damage because of the internal strife,” Matshiqi said.
Meanwhile, DA leader Helen Zille remarked it was too soon to describe them as a coalition.
“It’s much too early to talk about a possible coalition. There are many options available to us. We are still having talks about talks and we are at the beginning exploratory stage of the process. These talks have been going on for a long time since even before the election,” Zille responded during an interview.
She confirmed her predecessor Tony Leon’s appointment as ambassador to Argentina: “He goes on to serve South Africa not the ruling party, in the capacity as ambassador, and I think he will do extremely well. He specifically was not in consideration and did not want to be in consideration,” Zille further added.
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
A number of South Africa’s opposition parties are considering banding together to take on the ANC in the 2011 local government elections.
The Democratic Alliance, Congress of the People, United Democratic Movement and the Independent Democrats have been in talks since November despite denying any form of negotiations taking place ahead of the general elections earlier this year.
Political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi said in-fighting among opposition parties had cast doubt on whether they could create a force to be reckoned with.
“In entering into a coalition, with the Congress of the People, some of these political parties will have to be aware that there is a possibility of collateral damage because of the internal strife,” Matshiqi said.
Meanwhile, DA leader Helen Zille remarked it was too soon to describe them as a coalition.
“It’s much too early to talk about a possible coalition. There are many options available to us. We are still having talks about talks and we are at the beginning exploratory stage of the process. These talks have been going on for a long time since even before the election,” Zille responded during an interview.
She confirmed her predecessor Tony Leon’s appointment as ambassador to Argentina: “He goes on to serve South Africa not the ruling party, in the capacity as ambassador, and I think he will do extremely well. He specifically was not in consideration and did not want to be in consideration,” Zille further added.
To put this into perspective, such a grouping would win (based on 2009 results) every local government in the Western Cape, most in the Northern Cape, and several in the remaining provinces (including the city of Port Elizabeth) in the local government elections in 2011. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Location: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:46 pm Post subject:
André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
To put this into perspective, such a grouping would win (based on 2009 results) every local government in the Western Cape, most in the Northern Cape, and several in the remaining provinces (including the city of Port Elizabeth) in the local government elections in 2011.
Are these opposing parties ideologically similar that they can maintain cohesion after the elections? If not, then I foresee such a coalition quickly splintering along ideological lines once they've achieved their goal in defeating the ANC.
To put this into perspective, such a grouping would win (based on 2009 results) every local government in the Western Cape, most in the Northern Cape, and several in the remaining provinces (including the city of Port Elizabeth) in the local government elections in 2011.
Are these opposing parties ideologically similar that they can maintain cohesion after the elections? If not, then I foresee such a coalition quickly splintering along ideological lines once they've achieved their goal in defeating the ANC.
Ideologically they're quite close. They're already working together with huge success in some local governments. Their biggest obstacle will be personalities, as all of these parties have strong leaders. Which could be a great combination, or a cause for conflict. But I believe all of these leaders will be able to put the bigger purpose before their own interests. And the voters will expect it from them. We are at a point where voters will not allow leaders to put their own interest first.And most opposition voters, white and black, want this co-oporation.
_________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
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