[The Marxist/Leftist backlash continues. It will be interesting to see just how strong they are. I get the impression that the far left has the masses on their side. Jan]

PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki faces the grim prospect of open rebellion in his ruling African National Congress (ANC) and its allies, with a growing tide of criticism of his stewardship of party and state threatening to engulf the final three years of his presidency and weaken him in the succession struggle raging in the party.

Yesterday, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) launched a full-frontal attack on Mbeki’s presidency, warning that both the ANC and SA under Mbeki were “drifting towards dictatorship”.

Cosatu’s tone was in contrast to the previously muted criticisms of Mbeki’s style and his policies aimed at modernising the ANC into a left-of-centre party, suggesting growing impatience with his rule and mounting disregard for his authority.

Cosatu’s broadside capped a week that began with South African Communist Party (SACP) criticism of an “overly powerful Presidency”, and later also saw the powerful National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) give ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma a ringing endorsement.

The Cosatu attack comes on the eve of this weekend’s meeting of the ANC national executive committee, and is likely to further embolden Mbeki’s critics — and weaken his stance for a “woman president”, while Zuma continues to ride a wave of popularity.

Cosatu also became the latest of the ANC’s allies to pour scorn on Mbeki’s call for a woman president to succeed him.

Amid the backlash, Mbeki appeared to have backtracked on the “woman president” during a BBC interview on Wednesday.

“What I’ve said, when the question has been posed, I’ve said as the ANC and this government, we fully believe in gender equality. And so, there’s absolutely no problem if it is decided that our next president after 2009 is a woman,” Mbeki said.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of its central committee yesterday, Cosatu accused Mbeki of using state institutions and the media to settle political scores inside the ruling party.

“A frightening culture has developed in the ANC of cutting corners and not only to ignore internal democratic processes but to be contemptuous of them. This culture leads to the use of leaks to the media to take forward individuals’ narrow agendas,” said Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

The attack built on the SACP’s criticism of Mbeki’s “imperial presidency”, which it said sidelined the ANC and its alliance and undermined democratic institutions.

The belligerent tone of the latest barrage against Mbeki signals the left inside the alliance has stepped up its offensive for control of the party, sensing Mbeki’s weakened position following Zuma’s acquittal on rape charges this month.

In a further sign that Mbeki was on the back foot, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana yesterday said unions should “fight” the renewed debate on labour flexibility by business. This was aimed at reversing the gains made by unions in the past 12 years of democracy, Mdladlana told delegates to the NUM national congress under way in Johannesburg.

Mdladlana’s stance openly broke ranks with government’s stated commitment to reduce costs of doing business in SA, including labour costs. He said: “Social and political stability are more important than labour costs.”

Source: AllAfrica.Com
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200605260120.htm…/p>