ZUMA SAYS MBEKI HAS TOO MUCH POWER!

Mbeki has too much power - Zuma

Sipho Khumalo     April 16 2007 at 04:44AM   http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070416040836629C155785

ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma on Sunday warned against too much power being concentrated in the "state house" and the presidency, saying that was what had resulted in so many coups in Africa. Addressing a packed gathering of Cosatu shop stewards in Durban on Sunday, Zuma urged ANC members to ensure that political power remained within the organisation and with the masses. "The organisation (ANC) should not lose power and give too much power to the state house. We must carefully read what our documents (conference discussion documents) say about this critical issue. "All I am saying is that this is the crucial year (ANC conference), when all decisions that we take will be important for long time to come. It is going to be critical what we do about this issue of concentration of power at the policy conference (in July)," said Zuma. Mbeki now enjoys powers to appoint the cabinet Zuma's warning about too much power being concentrated in the presidency comes at the time when there are concerns within the ANC-led tripartite alliance that too many powers are vested in the hand of President Thabo Mbeki. These concerns intensified after Mbeki had released Zuma of his position as the deputy president of the country. Mbeki now enjoys powers to appoint the cabinet, heads of departments, premiers and municipal mayors. The issue of presidential powers is set to come under scrutiny when the ANC conducts organisational review at its policy conference scheduled to take place in July, ahead of its all-important conference in December. Zuma said the power should instead be retained by the organisation and (the ANC) should avoid transferring all power to the state. "That (too much concentration of power in the state house) has been the main course of problems in Africa. When coups occur, there are no masses to defend the organisation and democracy," he said. Cosatu's final position on leadership would be decided in September Zuma said this had resulted in liberation movements dying. As an example, Zuma said, an organisation that had put Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah in office was now dead because it had allowed all powers to be taken by the state. He urged members of the ANC to make sure that their membership was in order ahead of the conference in December. "This is the important technical question because even if people know that you have been a member of the ANC for 30 years, if your membership is not in proper order they will say that they do not know you," said Zuma, who vowed that he would not turn his back on the poor people. Addressing the same gathering, Cosatu Secretary-General Zwelinzima Vavi rejected weekend reports that the federation had dropped Zuma as the ANC's presidential candidate. It was reported that the worker federation was dropping Zuma for ANC Secretary-General Kgalema Motlanthe. Vavi said the February Cosatu meeting had never discussed the issue of ANC positions, but had instead discussed the framework for choosing right leadership. He said Cosatu's final position on leadership would be decided in September. "Those who are spreading the rumour about the candidacy of Motlanthe are seeking to destroy his reputation. "The real debate in Cosatu now is how to change the economic direction of the country. It is a debate between those who want to retain the status quo and those who want changes," said Vavi. KwaZulu-Natal Cosatu Secretary Zeth Luzipho said there was no way Cosatu was going to drop Zuma as he was part of the workers. "We are proud Zuma supporters because we are ANC members and Zuma is ANC Deputy President," said Luzipho. This article was originally published on page 1 of The Mercury on April 16, 2007

 

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