Apart from ‘wounded coalition’, new tsunami gains traction on Zuma
IN 2005, the then general secretary of Cosatu, Zwelinzima Vavi, likened the overwhelming support for Jacob Zuma prior to the Polokwane conference to a “tsunami” that no one would be able to contain.
Vavi would later, in a bilateral with the ANC, apparently describe the Zuma support-base as a coalition of the “walking wounded”.
“…People with axes to grind because they felt that they too were victims of Thabo Mbeki’s machination or perhaps, as some said, because they felt they had been denied access to the patronage that inevitably trickles down from high office.” (Gevisser, 2009)
Five years later, on September 3, 2010, the Mail & Guardian published an article titled “Coalition of the wounded turns on Zuma”, ahead of the ANC national general council (NGC) meeting later that year.
The article mentioned “several ANC sources” linked to its Youth League, the SACP, Cosatu and the government, and many party leaders who had their eye on government deployment or wanted to punish Zuma for not rewarding them sufficiently for their support in the run-up to the ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference.
They had come together in what could only be called “a coalition of the wounded”, chief among these cited as Vavi himself, now turning their overwhelming support against Zuma.
The paper said there was also a second group of leaders, calling themselves the “new frontier”, a subgroup of the broad front that questioned Zuma’s leadership. They were talking to one another and their so-called constituencies about what they saw as the erosion of traditional ANC values.
An ANC insider had said that they were discussing a return to such values, as a rejection of corruption and a clear division between party and state. It had taken slightly more than two years for Zuma to alienate some of his staunchest supporters, including the ANCYL, the article said.
And in April 2017, seven years later, the story of Zuma abandoning ANC values is still a daily tune. Among the most vocal today are ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza, comrades Derek Hanekom and Pravin Gordhan, with the ANC 101 veterans and the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Council steering committee, the SACP and Cosatu, all lamenting the abandonment of ANC values and principles by Zuma.
Former ANC deputy secretary-general Cheryl Carolus slammed Zuma for behaving in an “anti-ANC way”. Added to this group is Popo Molefe, who has found himself fighting corruption at Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency of SA) and daily losing ground in his position on the board.
The questions that arose then still seem to arise today, with these genuine voices of ANC comrades concerned about the erosion of ANC values. Or are these the people who are once again blaming Zuma for not rewarding them with either protection, pos- itions or taking away some lucrative positions previously held?
Former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, buoyed by what has widely been deemed as unfair and irrational dismissal by Zuma, joined this growing anti-Zuma chorus which says the current leaders have failed to uphold the highest levels of ethical leadership, mostly after he lost his post.
He has since moved aggressively to call on Zuma to go.
In her latest reply to the ANC in KZN, Khoza said “there was a time when ANC members were required to truly live the values and principles of the organisation. That was the ANC that valued selfless dedication in the Struggle for a democratic South Africa and a genuine concern for the will of the people, as captured in the principles of Batho Pele – People First”.
“Our current leadership is not putting the people first. Our current leadership does not live the values of our organisation. They choose to selectively apply sections of our organisation’s constitution to quell any voices of discontent.’’
As a result, Khoza has warned that she will vote for Zuma to go in the upcoming vote of no-confidence debate in the National Assembly. There have of course been seven previous votes based on the same accusations, but Khoza was never this vocal.
On February 21, 2017 the Daily Maverick reported that Khoza, who served on the finance committee, was moved to the public service and administration committee after rising in fame following her colourful chairing of the ad hoc committee that interviewed public protector candidates. It was said she had ambitions for that government ministry, but that the shift signalled that she would be snubbed.
Her new crusade of an ANC abandoning ANC values seemed to coincide with her being snubbed, although she would have been keen to serve in the same executive she now heavily criticises.
Then there is the SACP, whose general secretary Blade Nzimande says the blame for the alleged state capture by the Guptas should be placed squarely at the doorstep of Zuma and his son, Duduzane.
Awkwardly for Nzimande, it seems he is playing a psychological game – one which says that to continue keeping quiet will make people think I am under Zuma’s patronage. This makes his call one of political gamesmanship.
Then there is the labour federation, which has also added its voice to the growing calls for Zuma to step down, saying it no longer believes in his leadership abilities as the head of state. The anti-Zuma campaign of Cosatu started with Vavi and his cohorts, who also were rumoured to be bitter about not being deployed in government.
The relationship between Zuma and Cosatu has never been the same. Today, as it did then, it justifies its call for Zuma to step aside by saying he has abandoned democratic constitutionality and transparency.
The ANC’s national executive committee ( NEC) has warned many of its members who continue to push this narrative in public to stop, and has gone further by taking disciplinary action against some in the party.
These ANC members, however, refuse to stop. They continue to lament the abandonment of ANC values by Zuma and his leadership collective.
Surprisingly, though, if you go back to Nelson Mandela, you will find a group accusing him and his government of abandoning ANC values.
One analyst said there were many ways in which Mandela was wonderful and was a unifier, and so forth. But the analyst added that he had the same weakness as many of the ANC leaders that we’ve seen.
However, that weakness has deepened. It begs the question: Why does the ANC always abandon its values to those who find themselves outside of the party?
Diko is a media consultant. and strategist