Posted on 03/08/2008 3:58:08 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki can no longer govern effectively after losing the leadership of the country's ruling party, ANC leader Jacob Zuma was quoted as saying on Friday.
Zuma defeated Mbeki at a party election in December and is likely to become state president when Mbeki must step down in 2009 if he defeats corruption charges in court.
In an unusually strong and direct attack on Mbeki, Zuma said power was firmly concentrated in the hands of the African National Congress (ANC), suggesting the president's authority had slipped away.
"... if he's not part of the ANC leadership, he doesn't have authority. You can't even take serious decisions in terms of governance," he said in an interview with London's Financial Times published on the newspaper's Web site.
Zuma is a populist with backing from left-leaning unions who has promised investors he would not stray from pro-business policies that Mbeki has pursued to keep an economic boom going. The ANC leader says those are party policies.
Zuma still faces trial in August on money-laundering and racketeering charges.
The rivalry between Zuma and Mbeki has plunged the ANC into the worst internal crisis in its history, creating two centres of power between the government and the ANC.
Asked if Mbeki and most government ministers had a "straitjacket" around them, Zuma said:
"The president himself and the ministers' term have to come to an end, and therefore that in itself tells you more where the power lies," Zuma told the Financial Times.
"Because you couldn't say there is another power somewhere. In other words, the ANC has to make a decision of the kind of situation that is going to come thereafter."
While Mbeki appears to be keeping a low profile these days, Zuma acts like the man who will rule South Africa, despite the prospect of being imprisoned if he loses the court case.
Zuma has been meeting businessmen, and publicly addressing some of the country's most sensitive issues. On Thursday he told South Africa's traditionally white trade union that the minority should not feel threatened.
Bttt
Zimbabwe II under construction.
While the Democrats here offer two lunatics as candidates to do the same here..
Nuts!
We’ll have to see what happens to South Africa in 10 years from now.
Sooner or later, folks will be forced to acknowledged that multiculturalism is the path to destruction.....
All cultures are NOT equal..
One need only observe the wide range of condition or status of cities within the U.S. or countries around the globe — to see where viable societies flourish and where there is chaos..... The conclusion is indisputable..
Unfortunately - to be P.C. which is Factually Wrong -— one is not permitted to observe and comment on that which is before their eyes...
It's too large to be governed by one "tribe".
I’ve yet to be convinced that any “tribe” from the third world can govern themselves in a modern complex inter-related global society.
So it can be done.
Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, etc.... couldn’t have been considered “Third World” for many Centuries. Their civilizations were among the first to “light the lamp” and walk from the darkness — nor can their “culture” or “history of accomplishment” be considered in the same league as the “tribes” we were discussing in Africa.
I agree, it may not be impossible for Africa to rise above its cultural problems -— but I doubt Africa will achieve anything near the Asian experience in this or the next century..
None of us would be around to see it though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.