‘LOBBYING FOR ZUMA’S SUCCESSOR IS WELCOME’
THE ANC cannot stop independent organisations from commenting about who should succeed President Jacob Zuma at the party’s elective conference next year.
This was the governing party’s response to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), again publicly backing Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma.
The NUM held a meeting of its national executive committee (NEC) over the weekend. Yesterday, the NUM said although the ANC leadership was elected by its members at a conference, as workers they had a “vested” interest in the matter.
The ANC has barred its members from engaging in the divisive succession debate.
But ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said his party could not stop other independent members of the ANC-led tripartite alliance from commenting on success.
“If other independent organisations want to express themselves, we can’t stop them. We were speaking about members of the ANC internally [that they can’t comment on succession],” he said.
NUM general secretary David Siphunzi said lobbying for who will replace Zuma had already started although the ANC had taken a decision not to open the race.
“Those who think they alone have the right to lobby must think otherwise,” he said.
“The NEC reminded itself that the 2016 central committee of the NUM has, in early June taken a decision to support the candidacy of Cyril Ramaphosa for president.
“This is not only based on the tradition of the ANC, but also on the suitability of the candidate. We firmly believe that debates on this issue should be organisational and people must stop swearing at others as that only serves to show how intolerant we are.”
The ANC Youth League, the ANC Women’s League and the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association have been at the forefront of a campaign to have Zuma succeed by African Union Commission chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Last week Cosatu decided not to publicly back any candidate fearing the move would divide it again. The federation will allow its affiliates to keep debating the matter.
Its president, Sdumo Dlamini, said Cosatu was not speaking about ANC succession, but there was no decision barring its affiliates from doing so.