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South Africa: Ousted Leader Rasool Says He is Victim of 'Dirty Tricks' Campaign
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
25 July 2008
Posted to the web 25 July 2008
Chris Van Gass
Johannesburg
The "war" between rival factions in Western Cape's African National Congress (ANC) that erupted around ousted Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool is continuing.
Rasool yesterday accused his detractors of launching a "dirty tricks" campaign, in spite of his having resigned as premier.
It emerged yesterday that President Thabo Mbeki had written to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe in the weeks before Rasool's axing, warning of the consequences Rasool's removal would have on relationships with the Muslim community in Western Cape, SA and the Middle East.
Mbeki had apparently warned of "needlessly" making enemies of the national and international Muslim community.
Rasool, a devout Muslim, has often been the government's go-between in raising awareness and potential investment from the Arab world and has travelled extensively to countries in the Middle East, promoting Western Cape, SA and Africa as an investment destination.
In an interview yesterday during his last day in office, Rasool said it appeared as if his foes within the ANC had set their sights on destroying him personally.
Rasool's response followed the leaking of a seven-page document detailing the "reasons" he was removed as premier. The document, which attacks his leadership style, claims he was a "law unto himself" and accuses him of ignoring provincial party structures, has been rejected by the ANC's national executive committee (NEC), which distanced itself from the document, saying it had no standing in the ANC.
Rasool hit back yesterday, saying it clearly was "dirty tricks" and he knew who was behind the document : "I think it is people who themselves don't have a comparable honour (to him) and feel diminished that I'm allowed to go out with my integrity intact."
He said what was becoming apparent was that his detractors had never been interested in resolving the political problems of Western Cape, but had been interested only "in destroying the person of the premier".
He said their actions began to explain how they could have voted with the Democratic Alliance against him on the issue of whether he "misled" the provincial legislature over irregularities involving travel claims by safety and security MEC Leonard Ramatlakane and renovations to make Ramatlakane's house more secure.
Rasool described himself as the "first domino to fall".
He had departed as graciously as he could, "but in this example of grace, others have felt threatened," he said.
"They could not just accept the defeat of Ebrahim Rasool. They now want the destruction of Ebrahim Rasool, because they may feel for as long as they are unable to muster the same grace and honour, and for as long as I can now walk around freely with my head held high, they feel diminished," he said.
Rasool said he had told the NEC that if it wanted the "war" in Western Cape to be over, it would have to rein in the people he had named.
"I've made my sacrifice. I am truly wanting the ANC to heal, but if I suddenly find myself under such enormous attack from them, as they started yesterday - they couldn't even wait until I resigned - then I would have no restrictions placed on me about speaking the truth about who was corrupt in government. I would hate to leave government with files to protect my integrity," said Rasool.
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He has been replaced by Finance and tourism MEC Lynne Brown. Axed Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela is expected to tender her resignation today.
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