Moshoeshoe Monare
13 September 2008
The ANC wants President Thabo Mbeki to resign, or it will force its MPs to remove him. Some of the ruling party's national executive committee (NEC) members want to go further and fire Mbeki as an ordinary ANC member.
This has been sparked by Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson's inference on Friday that Mbeki interfered with the charging and multiple attempts to prosecute his rival, ANC president Jacob Zuma.
Judge Nicholson ruled that the National Prosecuting Authority's latest bid to charge Zuma was invalid.
It was a stunning turnaround - of profound ironies - in less than 24 hours for Mbeki. On Thursday night, he savoured his greatest diplomatic triumph in brokering peace in Zimbabwe.
Less than 12 hours later, he faced the prospect of his greatest political and personal disaster.
Judge Nicholson confirmed Zuma's long-held claim that his prosecution was a political conspiracy, despite the ANC NEC under Mbeki denying this in 2005.
In the final irony, last night Mbeki assumed the same defence and denial against the judge's findings that Zuma used when the president fired him as his deputy after Judge Hilary Squires convicted his erstwhile financial adviser, Schabir Shaik.
Three years ago, Zuma claimed he had been tried and judged in absentia. On Friday night, Mbeki said the same thing, almost verbatim.
Although Mbeki denied ever interfering and vowed to challenge the judgment, it was clear his political authority has been irreparably damaged. His career is all but over.
Militants within the ANC and its alliance structures, who had called for Mbeki's head as early as January, on Friday said the judgment had vindicated their call for an early election.
The ANC was supported on Friday night by the Independent Democrats and the African Christian Democratic Party, which also want Mbeki to resign.
Half of the ANC's NEC members were in Pietermaritzburg in a show of solidarity with their president.
Four of them told the Saturday Star that an informal caucus had been taken on the courthouse steps, where a decision had been taken to remove Mbeki.
One NEC member said the caucus had agreed that Mbeki should not be humiliated further but rather asked to tender his resignation.
"All the NEC members who are here agree that he must just do the honourable thing and fall on his sword. We're lobbying seriously to convince the entire NEC and his own supporters within (the NEC) that he must be punished.
"He has committed serious offences. A competent judge of the High Court said it, you heard him," said an NEC member.
An ex officio member of the NEC said the seriousness of Mbeki's conduct "calls for the party to axe him".
Next week, the NEC's scheduled meeting is likely to be dominated by discussions to fire Mbeki.
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema did not mince his words: "The NEC has a responsibility to recall Mbeki; if not, we'll recall them."
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the alliance would meet and decide on the implication of the judgment.
Both Cosatu and the SA Communist Party will deliberate on Mbeki's fate at their separate special executive committee meetings next week.
National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete told the Saturday Star on Friday that the National Assembly could act after studying the judgment.
"The next step is to study the judgment thoroughly. And we can take in all relevant elements that need to be followed up. Out of that we'll immediately pursue the matter through our structures and parliament," said Mbete.
The constitution allows the National Assembly, through a two-thirds majority vote, to remove the president if he is guilty of serious misconduct or is unable to perform his duties.
In his ruling, Judge Nicholson implied Mbeki influenced acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe's decision to charge Zuma last December.
The president's suspension of prosecutions chief Vusi Pikoli was also cited as an example of political interference.
"The timing of the indictment by Mr Mpshe on December 28 2007, after the president suffered a political defeat at Polokwane, was most unfortunate. This factor, together with the suspension of Mr Pikoli, who was supposed to be independent and immune from executive interference, persuade me that the most plausible inference is that the baleful political influence was continuing," Judge Nicholson said.
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Well written! The Zimbabwe saga is not complete and requires a sane person like Zuma to complete it. What deal is this which has not been disclosed to the Zimbabwean people? Why the deal when its a simple matter of leaders well past their sale date having to leave public office and let others carry the task of correcting their destruction? Why make Tsvangirai's task that difficult by leaving hate-talking and spendthrift Mugabe in the same house? What is clown Mutambara doing in there except to masquerade as opposition when he is Mugabe's fan and allay, out to derail the… [Read Full Text]
I don't quite understand where all these calls for our president's head are coming from. For years Thabo Mbeki has been rediculed for the so-called quiet diplomacy. Now when it seems to be yielding good fruits, this Zuma case is overshadowing his hard-worked-for glory. Mbeki worked his butt off to get all parties into signing what initially seemed to have been an imossible achievement. But the ANC and its bloody allies want him to go? I say "no!" Leave Mbeki alone. A lot of things have been said about him but I don't think getting rid of him just yet… [Read Full Text]
It is a shame that a sex predator like Jacob Zuma could be catapulted to the presidency in this way rather than send to the zulu gods to be cleansed from HIV infection and disgrace he brought to himself.
It will be stupid of the ANC to fire or to ask Mbeki to resign at this juncture of election period.Cde Mbeki is one of our rarest son's produced by the ANC in the same fashion as Cde Zuma, it is true that just like all of us he might have faultered there and there including his judgement on Zuma at a personal level but that does not delete what he has done for this country throughout his struggle years up to his leadership of the country and the ANC.He has delivered on the mandate given to him through our… [Read Full Text]
It is sad and unfortunate that one of Africa's most respected and celebrated leader, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa may have to end his presidency in shame. That his own political party ANC members are calling for his head is a shame to all of Africa.
While his predecessor Nelson Mandela demonstrated a venerated international statesmanship when he stepped down after his first (and which he made his only presidential term), Thabo Mbeki would have shamed all of African politicians if in fact what he is accused of is true as it apparently appears.
It seems to me that the… [Read Full Text]
Its a shame that this has happened...The judgment even though it is from the "competent"court does not mean Zuma has not committed an offence...If an offence was not committed,then Shaick would not be in jail,so who knows,Zuma might have tempered with justice to influence that Judgment...mind you,these judges are appointed by political officers in the name of President...in that light,it follows that some of the decisions will be biased based on who at that point is in favor.A person as controversial as Zuma is capable of just anything,including influencing judges to make decisions like this one.,mind you,these courts are independent… [Read Full Text]
Mr. Mulaka, Seems like this spiritual cultural training can be introduced right here in our schools. We have the next generation of such leaders right here. This is possible for Africa, she can lead the world with such dignity then maybe the rest of OUR PEOPLE will have the courage to come back home from all parts of the world with their knowledge of finance, technology, education and skills and that's all one needs to make AFRIKA the GREAT continent it's meant to be.
For the sake of the highest interest of stability in SA, Mbeki should seriously contemplate to step down over his alledged interference in the course of justice concerning the Zuma case.
Mbeki is already a President limping on one-foot after having lost the presidency of the ANC. He may not be able to reading the writings of the wall after his infamous "what crisis" in Zimbabwe inspite of the fact that murderer Mugabe terrorised over 4 million Zimbabweans to run seek refuge in SA!!
Should he decide to challenge the findings of the judge in the Zuma case, Mbeki will… [Read Full Text]