WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2005-06-15 Time: 00:00:00 Posted By: Jan
[Mbeki”s move sent shock waves through the ANC”s allies! I like what is happening. It will be interesting to see how Mbeki survives this, or whether this will go out of control and cause a long-term backlash, either within the ANC, or whether it will become even bigger and become an intertribal thing.
They have “marketed” this as “rooting out corruption”, and all the Liberals are jumping up and down in delight. But inside the ANC, people know this is personal. I wouldn”t be surprised if most Zulus think this is tribalism arising from the grave. It could have severe consequences. The question is, how well did Mbeki do his homework? It appears that Zuma is quite a tough guy actually, and a real veteran in so many ways. I wouldn”t be surprised if he is more talented and resourceful than Mbeki. The question is: How resourceful? We”ll have to wait and see… Jan]
AFTER his sacking of Jacob Zuma yesterday, nobody doubts that President Thabo Mbeki is in firm control of his cabinet and his government.
However, the political fallout from Zuma”s sacking has changed the face of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and Mbeki”s fate in the organisation forever.
Mbeki finds himself on the back foot, having to fend off allegations that he manipulated the process to strike at his political opponent, Zuma.
The challenge for an increasingly isolated Mbeki is how to manage and survive the political backlash in the ANC. Barely an hour after he was fired, Zuma defiantly announced that he was still in the running for the top job come the ANC”s conference in 2007 — setting the stage for a damaging leadership battle.
By invoking his constitutional power to dismiss Zuma two weeks after Schabir Shaik”s conviction implicated the deputy president, Mbeki showed he was not going to blink. He faced down Zuma supporters who warned that firing Zuma could come at the cost of unity in the party.
“Circumstances dictate that in the interests of the honourable deputy president, the government, our young democratic system, and our country, it would be best to release the honourable Jacob Zuma from his responsibilities as deputy president of the republic and member of the cabinet,” Mbeki said in Parliament yesterday.
While his decision has received widespread support from the cabinet and opposition parties, it has ignited a powder keg in the ANC-led alliance.
Mbeki”s move against Zuma has unleashed an ugly power struggle that has pitted leaders against each other despite public protestations to the contrary.
While timing is everything in politics, Mbeki is under pressure to replace Zuma in cabinet soon. He can do this in several ways, including a cabinet reshuffle that would allow for a full scale reorganisation of how government functions.
This would be in line with Mbeki”s stated intention to speed up delivery, but now with greater central control. Mbeki could also use the opportunity to reorganise and boost the office of the deputy president, largely ceremonial under Zuma”s tenure.
Several candidates have emerged as potential replacements for Zuma. Front runners include Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a personal Mbeki favourite; Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and Kgalema Motlanthe who is the ANC”s secretary-general.
However, stepping into Zuma”s shoes could amount to accepting a poisoned chalice, analysts warn.
“In the current climate in the ANC, given that Zuma enjoys widespread support, it will be a very dangerous position for anyone to occupy,” says political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi.
Mbeki is also yesterday”s man given that he has entered the last term of his presidency. It would be prudent for politicians who seek a future in public office beyond a Mbeki presidency to hedge their bets, given that the succession issue has yet to be resolved. The president must also cast his eye on the legal matters in this instance, Matshiqi says.
“If Zuma stands trial and is acquitted, then it spells disaster for Mbeki. However, if Zuma is found guilty, he is ruined and his career will end in shame,” Matshiqi says.
On the policy front, Mbeki also finds himself alone as he steers his government on a political and economic path increasingly out of synch with popular sentiment in the ANC.
Mbeki needs buy-in from labour and communist allies on key reforms if he wants to see his economic strategy realised. However, given that Zuma is seen as the candidate most favoured by the left to succeed Mbeki, the president faces an uphill battle.
Thus far Mbeki has been able to drive his economic policies and programmes through by stealth, with the assistance of key departments like the Treasury and Trade and Industry.
The Zuma debacle will complicate matters considerably. However, politics is ultimately about power, and Mbeki might just yet be able to sway the ANC enough to see his programme through, Matshiqi says.
Source: AllAfrica.Com
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200506150049.htm…/p>