15/12/2007 19:22 - (SA)
Where I went wrong - Mbeki
S’Thembiso Msomi, Moffet Mofokeng and Mapula Sibanda
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki has for the first time admitted to making a mistake in his leadership of the ANC.
And he plans to correct it this morning when he delivers his much-anticipated political overview, which will cover both the state of the nation and his party.
Speaking to City Press in an exclusive interview at his official residence in Pretoria on Friday, Mbeki said he had not spoken to the membership of his organisation sufficiently about developments within the party, particularly those involving his deputy, Jacob Zuma.
Asked whether he took any personal blame for the divisions in the party as it prepares for today’s conference in Polokwane, Mbeki said he did.
“Yes, certainly. I think the mistake I made was to think it would be adequate for us to deal with these issues in the national executive committee (NEC),” he said.
“And that once we had dealt with them and come to a conclusion, this is what then would inform the behaviour of all members, including members of the NEC, because you know after that the secretary-general and other comrades will prepare a report of the outcome of the NEC (and) distribute it to the branches.
“I’m saying that the mistake that I think I made was to assume that that would be sufficient to address whatever issues. It was wrong.”
His remarks came as he was putting the final touches to a speech that could be his last as ANC president. Delegates are expected to take to the polls this evening to decide who becomes party president for the next five years.
Mbeki, who has been fighting hard to turn the tide in his favour, said members had been fed “untruths” by “people they considered credible” ahead of the conference. This, he said, had led to many of them thinking he was part of a conspiracy against Zuma and that this could explain why he was being rejected by his own organisation.
Mbeki said ANC members deserved to know the truth and that he would use the political overview this morning to set the record straight.
“One of the things that must happen in Polokwane is that, as president of the ANC, I have to tell these members to correct this mistake that I am saying I have committed by talking directly and truthfully to the membership of the ANC about what has happened,” he said.
“I believe it has to be my duty to tell them truthfully, in the presence of everybody, and let anybody else stand up and challenge it.”
Among the issues he is expected to talk to delegates about is Zuma’s claim that he has been the victim of a conspiracy within the party to stop him from being party leader.
Mbeki is also likely to defend himself against accusations that he has centralised and personalised political power and that he is intolerant of opinions that are different to his own.
Divisions in the party have become so entrenched that both Mbeki and Zuma this weekend emphatically rejected former ANC Women’s League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s attempt at brokering a deal.
Madikizela-Mandela met Zuma at his house on Friday and the ANC leader told her in no uncertain terms that her peace deal would “subvert the democracy of the organisation”.
The Zuma camp suspects that Madikizela-Mandela’s proposed deal, which would have seen both Mbeki and Zuma remain in their current positions, is the brainchild of a state-owned enterprise with close ties to the Mbeki camp.
The executive yesterday denied knowledge of the plan.
Yesterday, Madikizela-Mandela held a similar meeting with Mbeki in Pretoria and at the time of going to press it was as yet unclear what decision had been taken.
However, Mbeki told City Press that the deal, which would have also seen the ANC guaranteeing Zuma the country’s presidency in 2009, could not work.
“My own view is that she knows very well that the process is with the ANC. That is a matter you will have to put to the membership.
“Who would give that guarantee? There is nobody who can say, ‘I guarantee that so-and-so will be president in 2009’,” he said.
“The membership will ask: ‘Who gave you that power? Why are you depriving us of our right and duty to decide?’ It just can’t be done.”
The stakes were so high at the conference venue yesterday that the Zuma camp instructed all regional secretaries to keep an eye on each member of their delegation to “protect” them from being approached by Mbeki people.
There were also reports of delegates in various provinces refusing to use transport provided by ANC offices where such resources are controlled by the opposing camp.
The conference starts at 9.30am this morning.
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