Shock, anger as Malians lash out at poor leadership that allows terrorism to flourish
SACP seeks to survive ‘anti-communist drive’
DAKAR, Senegal: As Malian security forces track down at least three suspects in the terrorist attack on the upmarket Radisson Blu Hotel in the capital, Bamako, on Friday, Malians and others across the Sahel region are still in a state of shock.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta signed a decree for a three-day period of national mourning starting tomorrow and a 10-day State of Emergency starting on Friday, to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
He did so after rushing back to Bamako late on Friday evening, cutting short a visit to Chad to attend a summit of G5 Sahel countries – ironically to co-ordinate the fight against terrorism which is spreading across the region.
It took the Malian armed forces – with the support of US, THE SA Communist Party is expected to emerge from its augmented central committee meeting this weekend in fighting mode as it seeks to survive a potentially stormy succession race in the ANC.
The party’s structures, including its central committee and more than 130 delegates from across provinces and districts, are meeting amid what party insiders are describing as an anti-communist drive, characterised by attempts to weaken the party’s influence in the runup to the 2017 elective conference. UN, and French troops stationed in the country or in the region – several hours to rescue the guests and employees at the hotel.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, outraged citizens across the region inundated social media expressing sympathy and sorrow, but also concern about their own lives and safety.
Part of the outrage concerned the relative neglect in international media of this attack, compared with those in Paris exactly a week before.
Others protested against poor leadership in Africa which has allowed terrorism to flourish. Others criticised Western powers which they accuse of having sown the seeds of instability across Africa and the Middle-East for their own vested interests.
Across the Sahel region,
It also takes place a day before the start of the Cosatu national congress, where the weakened trade union federation will be looking to pick up the pieces after a stormy year in which both its long-time general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, and largest union, Numsa, were expelled.
SACP spokesman Alex Mashilo said delegates at the meeting had received a secretariat political report which was “analysing the political situation facing the SACP, the tripartite alliance and the working class as a whole”.
Party leader Blade Nzi- there are concerns that no one is safe anywhere any more, and the weakness of the security forces will make everybody even more vulnerable than those living in developed countries, where terrorism is also rife.
Mali has been in a state of civil unrest for decades. Until last year Tuareg insurgents mande has already been the subject of calls for his removal by the increasingly vocal ANC Youth League, which is in a tug-of-war over the succession issue with the Young Communist League.
Calls for Nzimande to be removed come amid concerns raised by some party leaders that he could be targeted in a potential cabinet reshuffle, though some have cautioned the fallout from such a move would be simply too big and clearly draw the battle lines ahead of 2017.
Sources close to cabinet have indicated the push for Nzimande’s axing on the back of the Fees Must Fall protests and radical jihadist groups fought the central authority in the remote and vastly desert northern parts of the country. Now the threat has extended to the southern part of the country, including the capital and other major cities.
After a deadly attack on La Terrasse restaurant in Bamako in March this year, President Keïta condemned the attacks in these terms: “We are standing, we are calm, we are not in fear, there is no psychosis, they have failed and they will fail.”
But, seven months later, the same terrorist group which claimed responsibility for that attack, Al Murabitoun, has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.
This has struck a serious blow to the confidence of Malians in the ability of their government to protect them. – ANA and changing political dynamics in the succession race has become a strong consideration, particularly after the change of ANC leadership in KZN.
There has also been speculation this week that Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s head could be on the block.
Threat
The slow movement and apparent indecisiveness on the country’s nuclear build programme and Treasury’s SABC probe, which is said to be a threat to chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, are cited by sources as the reason sentiment towards Nene has changed.
But some senior communists in the alliance believe Nzimande’s potential sacking or redeployment would be an affront to those left in the alliance.
There is a lot at stake for the SACP as the succession race for the new ANC leadership starts to take shape.
The party is expected to back ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Jacob Zuma as president, pitting it against a determined bloc that has defiantly opened the succession race with a call for a woman president – AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.