2005-11-28,+Sunday+Times+coverage+of+SACP,+ANC,+COSATU

Sunday Times, Johannesburg, Politics, 27 November 2005

= Nzimande sees crisis as an opportunity =
 * MOIPONE MALEFANE**

THE crisis over the dismissal of former Deputy President Jacob Zuma should be seized as an opportunity to shift the ruling alliance to the Left, South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande told his central committee in Johannesburg this week.

In a lengthy report to the committee, Nzimande said the Zuma saga could play out in many ways.

“For instance, in dealing with this matter, there is a creeping danger of the use of state organs for partisan or even factionalism purposes. In this process there is a danger of the increasing reliance on state organs — even including working with elements of the old order — to try to deal with the situation, and thus dangerous gravitation towards repressive methods,” he said.

But he said it also offered a potentially progressive outcome.

“If handled correctly, it can act as a catalyst for a more leftward shift of the ANC and the alliance as a whole, as well as a reconstitution of the ANC into a vibrant, mass-based movement with a unifying leadership and vision.

“It is to the latter possibilities that, as the SACP, we should focus our energies — not opportunistically, but in a principled fashion.”

He acknowledged that the party remained divided on strategies to offer moral support to Zuma and urged the committee to outline a clear programme of solidarity.

The three-day SACP meeting commenced on Friday. Members present included Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, Safety and Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi.

From: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A154786

= SACP grills Kasrils over Zuma saga = Intelligence chief comes under fire


 * NDIVHUHO MAFELA and WALLY MBHELE**

INTELLIGENCE Minister Ronnie Kasrils was yesterday summoned to appear before the central executive committee meeting of the South African Communist Party where he was grilled and asked to explain the role of the National Intelligence Agency in the Jacob Zuma saga.

Kasrils, who is himself a committee member, was called after he failed to attend the meeting which started in Randburg, Johannesburg, on Friday and is due to end today.

He was asked to explain the reasons for his suspension of NIA Director-General Billy Masetlha, his deputy, Gibson Njenje, and the counter-intelligence general manager, Bob Mhlanga.

The three officials were suspended for placing ANC heavyweight and businessman Saki Macozoma under surveillance. This surveillance was deemed “illegal” by Kasrils.

Kasrils is said to have explained to the committee that the decision to suspend Masetlha was made by President Thabo Mbeki.

It is understood that after facing a barrage of criticism Kasrils was told that it would be difficult for the committee to believe his version of events when the committee has not heard Masetlha’s own version.

Masetlha’s order to put Macozoma under surveillance came as the NIA started investigating the controversial e-mails which the Zuma camp say provide proof that Macozoma and the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, are involved in a conspiracy against Zuma and other high-ranking ANC officials, including the party’s secretary-general, Kgalema Motlanthe.

Kasrils has dismissed the e-mails as a “hoax”. After suspending Masetlha last month, Kasrils urged journalists to ignore the e-mails and said they were part of a dirty tricks campaign.

The e-mails also dominated the heated proceedings of the ANC National Executive Committee meeting last weekend where Kasrils was again attacked by his NEC colleagues, who are also not satisfied about the manner in which he has handled the issue.

The meeting, which lasted for three days, has been described by one ANC official as the “most brutal ANC gathering I have ever attended. We spent three days swimming in blood. It was not nice.”

It apparently all started when the party’s secretary-general, Kgalema Motlanthe, circulated confidential copies of the e-mails to all party officials.

ANC officials who attended the meeting say Kasrils was criticised by some NEC members, who complained about his “premature” suspension of Masetlha, Njenje and Mhlanga.

They believed that Kasrils should have supported the NIA’s investigation of the origins of the e-mails rather than suspend his own officials.

It is understood that some NEC members called upon the ANC to institute its own investigation into the origins of the e-mails.

Macozoma — who attended the meeting — is said to have been “fighting like a wounded lion because he is portrayed in those e-mails as a kingpin behind a plot against Zuma”, according to one official.

Motlanthe — who is also named in the e-mails — is said to have come close to calling on the ANC to dismiss certain “officials” as he believes the e-mails are authentic, said an NEC member.

The contents of the e-mails are believed to have shocked many NEC members.

“Either the e-mails are true or whoever wrote them is a mastermind of fishing in troubled waters,” said an NEC member who attended the meeting.

Both Mbeki and Zuma are said to have refrained from joining the debates on the e-mails.

The only time Zuma spoke was when he spent time discussing the alleged political conspiracy against him. He was very critical of the role of the former Justice Minister, Penuell Maduna, in his investigation.

From: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A154791

= ‘Conspiracy’ rift between ANC and Cosatu widens =

THE ANC’s deputy secretary-general, Sankie Mthembi- Mahanyele, criticised Cosatu’s insistence that there is a political conspiracy against former Deputy President Jacob Zuma as the rift between the two alliance partners continued to widen this week.

Mthembi-Mahanyele rejected Cosatu’s call for an urgent meeting to discuss the alleged conspiracy, in the wake of its public denunciation of the ANC national executive committee’s position that there is no political conspiracy against Zuma.

She told the Sunday Times that Zuma had informed the national executive committee that he believed “external forces” were behind the “conspiracy” but had stopped short of naming them.

She said the committee did not ask Zuma for further explanation as he had said this would emerge at his corruption trial, which starts next July.

“Cosatu has been told about the deputy president’s decision,” she said. “If they want to discuss the matter I do not know what they want to talk about.”

Zuma and his supporters have consistently claimed that a conspiracy exists to sabotage his chances of succeeding President Thabo Mbeki as president of the ANC and the country.

The ANC secretary-general, Kgalema Motlanthe, briefed Cosatu’s central executive committee meeting about the ANC’s decisions, including the party’s resolution dismissing claims of a conspiracy against Zuma.

The ANC adopted the position at the end of its marathon national executive committee meeting, rejecting any suggestion of a political conspiracy in the ANC or its leadership.

But Cosatu’s secretary-general, Zwelinzima Vavi, said many factors contributed to the federation’s firm belief in the Zuma conspiracy theory.

Vavi said although Cosatu accepted that the ANC, like Cosatu, was an independent organisation whose positions were informed by its internal discussion, the alliance partners needed to meet and thrash the issue out.

“That is why Cosatu is calling for a 10-a-side meeting to ensure that a full summit is held... so that the matter can be debated,” Vavi said.

However, Mthembi-Mahanyele said the party had not received any proposal from Cosatu.

Cosatu’s central executive committee discussed several issues, including the rape allegations against Zuma, the alleged conspiracy, Zuma’s corruption trial and the ANC’s decisions on the Zuma affair.

Vavi said: “We regard the NEC discussion and pronouncement as progress, particularly the fact that the ANC at last is taking political responsibility to provide leadership.”

Asked about Cosatu’s position on proposals that Zuma and Mbeki should step aside to allow an alternative candidate to assume the ANC presidency, Vavi said Cosatu had never nominated Zuma. He said Cosatu was merely defending Zuma’s rights, including his right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence until guilt was proved.

On the rape allegations, Vavi said Cosatu would comment only if the police could confirm that there is a rape charge against Zuma.

• On Friday, Mbeki used his weekly online letter to dismiss suggestions that he had a “hostile or malicious attitude” towards Zuma or that any plot to undermine his deputy existed in the ANC leadership.

From: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A154735