‘Old Mbeki’ is back in full force
PHILOSOPHER-POLITICIAN: SUBTLE CRITICISM OF ANC MAY SHOW WHERE HIS LOYALTIES LIE
Experts believe he is backing Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Former president Thabo Mbeki has, in recent months, been calling a spade a spade when it comes to the multifaceted challenges facing South Africa and the ANC.
Mbeki said last week, current challenges, ranging from crime to unemployment and the electricity crisis, show quality leadership appeared to be lacking.
Mbeki’s criticisms led to the question of whether he was indirectly taking a swipe at under-fire President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Political analyst Theo Venter said this meant the “old Mbeki”, the philosopher-politician of yesteryear, was back.
“He must be very irritating to the Ramaphosa Presidency and he complicates an already complicated system in the ANC even more, rather than pointing to solutions – the typical role of an elder statesman.
“Mbeki stayed out of politics during the Zuma years, but has started to add his perspective on the decline of the ANC on several occasions over the last two years.”
Mbeki’s comments also brought about historical perspective.
Last Wednesday, Mbeki was critical of the Eskom leadership in relation to load shedding.
“In 2007, Mbeki apologised for dropping the ball by not paying attention to the Eskom warnings about future limitations on electrical provision.
“Load shedding actually started in the Mbeki era and it is weird for him to criticise the ANC for the current crisis,” said Venter.
Asked if Mbeki was perhaps campaigning for someone to oppose Ramaphosa ahead of the ANC’s elective conference in December – considering his historical relations with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who recently confirmed her nomination for ANC president – Venter said he was probably playing his own game.
Another political analyst, Rebone Tau, believed, although Mbeki had not said it publicly, he appeared to be more comfortable with Dlamini-Zuma.
“I don’t know if he is campaigning for someone in the ANC, but he needs to come out if indeed that’s what he is doing. He is a member of the ANC, after all ... so he has the right to pronounce his preferred candidate,” Tau said.
In 2007, he wanted Dlamini-Zuma to be his deputy president at the time when Zuma emerged as the president.
Whether he was indirectly taking a swipe at Ramaphosa’s leadership, Tau said it was difficult to say, but “it is alleged the two have had a strenuous relationship”.