In 2002 the ANC held it 51st National Conference, followed two years later, in 2004 by the ANCYL National Conference. From the YL conference the stage was set for succession dedate, with the organisation arguing that comrade JZ must in the next Conference of the ANC, to be held three years later, in 2007, elected to succeed Thabo Mbeki as the movement's president. This was linked to comrade JZ taking over as SA's president five years later, in 2009.
Thabo Mbeki did not like the YL's discussion. He said it was too early, and that the ANC shall at the right time determine according to its established procedures its next NEC which includes the president. Little he make it clear that he was actually engaging with the YL's substative proposal, with his position being that he did not like comrade JZ to become the movement's president in 2007 and the SA's president in 2009, and that he will acually contest and do many other things to gain a third term as ANC's president. Those who don't quickly shut-down their memories will also recall that a year (2003) after the ANC's 51st National Conference (2002, the ANC NEC issued a statement stipulating that going forward the president of the ANC may not be the president of the republic. Thabo Mbeki held interviews with SABC in which he further motivated this position. Little did he make it clear that he wanted to continue as ANC president in from 2007, four years later. Following the 2004 and 2005 national and provincial elections two newly appointed premiers in Limpopo (Sello Moloto, who later joined COPE) and KZN (Sbusiso Ndebele), and a Mayor (Mlungisi Hlogwane, who later zigzagged between COPE and ANC) for Sedibeng Municipality in Gauteng, went over to call for the constitution of SA to be amended so Thabo Mbeki can serve a third term as SA's president.Could this have been without tactical coordination? Many of us questioned. But it was in 2004 that Thabo Mbeki condemed the YL for opening the succession debate unnecessarily and too early. What are the similarities and different about the succession debate now and then? Two years ago (2007) the ANC held its 52nd National Conference. The period is the same (two years later if not almot)from ANC Nationl Conferences (51st and 52nd respectively) between the YL's 2004 proposal for comrade JZ to be elected ANC president in 2007 and Cosatu's 2009 proposal for comrade JZ to continue as ANC and SA's president in 2012. Another similarity is that the country went to general elections in 2004, as it has been the case in 2009.Yet comrade Julius Malema, current serving president of the YL, like Thabo Mbeki did to the YL in 2004, condemed Cosatu for raising the debate in what is called too early. Malema uses one of the similar reasons used by Mbeki when he, augmented by Smuts Ngonyama who since went to COPE, condemed the YL. Like Thabo Mbeki, Malema argued that the succession debate is not important now but service delivery is. What is different though, is that in 2004 the proposal for comrade JZ to become president of the ANC in 2007 was made by the YL, and now (2009) it's has been made by Cosatu, supported by the YCL. It is now clear whose interests did Thabo Mbeki represent when he hypocriticallycondemed the so-called early succession discussion. Whose interest does Malema represent when he wrongfully and passionately (without even visiting the recent history of the YL on the issue of succession)condemed Cosatu for openly stating its preference for comrade JZ to continue in 2012 as both ANC and SA's president? In the Sasco NGC (1 - 5 July 2009) YCL National Chairperson comrade David Masondo provided political education in a limited time slot. Indeed the ANC is the organisational leader of the alliance, the allaince partners have an inherent interest who therefore leads the ANC and how to express this is only a matter for tactical consideratios. With the sort of response that comrade Julius Malema echoed, it appears Cosatu was tactically correct to state its preference openely. Otherwise our history illustrates that when Thabo Mbeki condemed the YL in 2004 for raising the succession debate 'too early' the mn was actually busy making sure he will stay on. To agree with comrade David Masondo, it will be utopian to suggest or agree to be pursuaded that other forces are not busy discussing succession in the corridors. In fact, making open pronouncements as Cosatu and the YCL did this year (2009) abount comrade JZ continuing in 2012 and 2014 as president of the ANC and SA, and as the YL did in 2004, threaten the interests of those who are not only discussing succession in the corridors but who are also preparing in the same sphere for their preferences to emerge. A re boleleng! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
