SACP+has+go+at+Mbeki+for+not+trusting+partners,+Star



=SACP has go at Mbeki for not trusting partners=

The Star, Johannesburg, August 29, 2005

 * By Sheena Adams**

The scene has been set for an explosive tripartite alliance meeting, with the SA Communist Party attacking the president.

SACP spokesperson Kaizer Mohau yesterday accused President Thabo Mbeki of "demonstrating precisely" what angered alliance partners when Cosatu and the SACP were treated as "junior members".

He said Mbeki had also undermined all three organisations - the ANC, SACP and Cosatu - by not taking them into his confidence before making public his surprise proposal to set up a commission of inquiry.

Last week's edition of ANC Today, Mbeki's weekly column, was a reproduction of a letter he wrote suggesting that an internal commission should investigate supposed "hidden political agendas" against former deputy president Jacob Zuma.

Mohau said an urgent meeting had been called for Wednesday between Cosatu and the SACP to discuss the proposal but warned that there was "much anger clouding the issue".

The next 10-a-side tripartite alliance meeting, at which a decision would be taken on whether to proceed with such a commission, would take place within the next two weeks, he said.

Both Mbeki and Zuma were expected to attend, but as yet no date had been set.

In the letter, Mbeki said he had been informed that some alliance members believed the president "occupies the leading position in the political onslaught" against Zuma.

The letter was presented by ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe to last week's marathon 10-a-side alliance crisis meeting, which discussed the fallout over Zuma.

While the SACP was "concerned and not very happy" with the president for making the letter public before it had been discussed by alliance partners, the party was also shocked at Mbeki's anger at being accused of leading a political conspiracy against Zuma. "Neither Cosatu nor the SACP has ever accused the president of leading anything," Mohau said.

Both organisations believed Mbeki was innocent, he added.

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said Wednesday's urgent meeting of the federation's executive - which Mohau said would also include senior SACP figures - was intended to "manage the decision" on Zuma. ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama urged alliance partners to deal with the matter in a united and sober way.

"You don't say things about people that you cannot prove," he said. He added that there was no need for any anger as the alliance partners "did not have any agreement not to say anything about the letter" but had agreed only that it would be referred to the secretariat.

"The issue is that there is an alleged political conspiracy, and statements have been made broadly saying that state machinery is being used to settle political scores."

Allegations of a political conspiracy were "not only irresponsible" but also "impacted negatively" on the country.

"There is no need for anger over an idea that was meant to unite the alliance really," added Ngonyama.


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=128&fArticleId=2855185