Zuma elected leader of SAfrica party ("populist" and survivor of rape and corruption charges)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 12/18/07 | Celean Jacobson - ap

[NormsRevenge]

POLOKWANE, South Africa - Jacob Zuma, a populist whose career survived rape and corruption charges, was elected leader of the governing African National Congress on Tuesday, putting him into position to become South Africa's next president.

Zuma received 2,329 votes, ahead of incumbent Thabo Mbeki's 1,505 votes, following one of the most divisive campaigns the party has seen.

Chaos erupted in the hall as the results were announced, then Mbeki and Zuma mounted the stage together and embraced.

Zuma had rallied ANC members who wanted a change from Mbeki, who guided post-apartheid South Africa to sustained economic growth in recent years but has been accused of moving too slowly to lift millions out of poverty.

Zuma still risks being charged by prosecutors for corruption in a multimillion-dollar arms deal. His supporters said the corruption cloud was part of a political smear campaign and should not prevent him from becoming ANC president.

Zuma loyalists also won overwhelming support for the positions of deputy president and secretary general.

The bitter contest for party president strained the organization's fabled discipline and unity. But the margin of Zuma's victory raised questions whether Mbeki would continue as national president until scheduled elections in 2009 or whether he would step down early. The ANC candidate would likely win, given the party's wide support.

In the closing days of the campaign, Zuma's supporters were at pains to try to calm jitters that South Africa's economic policies would lurch to the left, given the huge support he enjoys among the trade union movement and Communist Party.

As delegates headed into the university hall to hear the results, Zuma supporters sang out his now trademark anthem "Bring Me My Machine Gun." Mbeki's supporters were huddled in a prayer meeting.

"The reality is that the tsunami is unstoppable," Zuma supporter Jappie Mateis said after voting, referring to the support for his candidate popularly called the "Zunami."

Much has been made of the personality and class differences between Mbeki and Zuma, former allies who are both 65 and spent years in exile during apartheid.

Mbeki is a foreign-educated academic who sprinkles his speeches with Shakespeare. Zuma had little formal schooling, was a leader of the exiled ANC's military wing, and, like former President Nelson Mandela, served time at the Robben Island prison.

Zuma spent many months building his support among the rank-and-file and the trade union movement, but also reached out to religious groups, white Afrikaners and the business community in the final weeks of campaigning.

He has insisted that he will not radically change the economic agenda for fear of scaring off foreign as well as domestic investors. He has called for AIDS and crime to be "treated as national emergencies," something many South Africans have criticized Mbeki for not doing.

On foreign policy, Zuma has challenged Mbeki for insisting on quiet diplomacy over confrontation with neighboring Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe is accused of ruining the economy, undermining democracy, and thereby threatening the region's stability.

Mbeki is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term as president of Africa's political and economic powerhouse.

Mbeki fired Zuma as the country's deputy president in 2005 after Zuma's financial adviser was convicted of trying to elicit a $70,000 bribe for Zuma to deflect investigations into an arms deal. Charges were withdrawn against Zuma but the National Prosecuting Authority has indicated it may revive them.

Last year, Zuma was acquitted of raping a family friend. During the trial, he testified that he had unprotected, consensual sex with the HIV-positive woman and then took a shower in the belief that it would protect him from the AIDS virus.

His supporters accused the Mbeki camp and the media of unfairly vilifying Zuma.

"He is innocent until proven guilty," said Sihle Mbili of the corruption cloud that still hangs over Zuma's head. "If he is found guilty, it means no crisis of leadership in the ANC as we have got a deputy president. But we will cross that bridge when we get to it."

During the decades it was an underground movement fighting apartheid, the ANC prided itself on presenting a united front — the top party post hadn't been publicly contested in 55 years.

But during the conference, delegates loyal to Zuma booed leaders seen as Mbeki allies and carried pictures of Zuma despite a ban on partisan displays.

[NormsRevenge]

a populist whose career survived rape and corruption charges

--

think of him as Sud Afrika's Bill Clinton

[NormsRevenge]

African National Congress deputy president, Jacob Zuma, attends the second day of the annual African National Congress conference, during the nomination process for the party's presidency, in Polokwane, South Africa, Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. Late Monday, a day later than expected, President Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma were formally nominated for the post of party president, with voting among some 4,000 delegates to start early Tuesday. Zuma, a populist former guerrilla fighter backed by the left, was expected to win, putting him in line to run for, and likely win, the country's presidency in 2009. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

[pepsionice]

I’m betting the guy is dead from AIDS in less than three years.

[NormsRevenge]

Former ANC president Thabo Mbeki (L) congratulates newly elected ANC president Jacob Zuma during a leadership conference in Polokwane December 18,2007. South Africa's ruling ANC elected Jacob Zuma as its new leader on Tuesday, dumping President Thabo Mbeki and putting the populist politician on course to lead the country in 2009. (Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)

[SolidRedState]

3800 votes cast?

WTF?

[NormsRevenge]

Think of the ANC as being the equivalent of the DNC. This was a party gathering charting their “New Direction”.

[Ironfocus]

There is a mountain of evidence against Zuma regarding the arms deal corruption charges. It will be interesting to see if the national prosecutor has the stones to go on with the case though, it may be a career-limiting move.

[sdillard]

Any white person in South Africa should begin transferring their capital out of the country and make arrangements to emigrate. When this bozo takes over, there will no future for white South Africans.

[SolidRedState]

Thanks, I had my head in the wrong place when I read that part.

[Ironfocus]

He certainly has the support of the more militant wing in his party, and his election has taken them an order of magnitude to the left. I think that the writing has been on the wall for a long time for the whites, but a Zuma government will accelerate the pace of emigration.

[NormsRevenge]

If Nelson Mandela has qualms about a guy,, you know there is something not quite right about him..

[parisa]

Another “populist” leftist leader for Africa, another Mugabe in the making. He too started out with much fanfare and hope riding on his shoulders.

[wideminded]

Looks like he has trouble finding well-fitting glasses.

[lapster]

Oaky-doaky, let’s see now ... exactly how long before SA joins the ranks of Zimbabwe as yet another violence-ridden, dictatorial, African basket case? I’m putting the Over-Under at five years — and I’m taking the Under.

[Leifur]

I have been fore some time now very interested in Southern and South Africa and in the latter (and Namibia) in the Afrikaans people.

How is the situation in South Africa now and is this man just a irresponsible populist that will become a second Mugabe (sadly Zimbabwe is now going through a time similar as other African nations are getting out of) and put South Africa through the same things every other post independence african country (with the notable exeption of Botswana) have?

Or is he a common sense down to earth man of the people?

He seems from afar to be the former. What will be the political situation after this? Will the sane opposition be able to gain because of this, or is this Zulu man maybe going to wipe out Inkhata Freedom Party by taking all their support in a tribal style election?

Is it conceivable that the more right/sane part of the ANC will switch parties? What party would they then support/join? The IFP, the Democratic Alliance, The Independent Democrats or United Democratic Movement or even the African Christian Democratic Party (wich I find very interesting).

Can you tell me anything, good and bad about these other parties, wich of them are cabable of running the country (with the obvious case of the DA surely) and wich are far out there as loonies?

I have allways hoped that SA would be the place where freedom and capitalism would be saved in Africa and would then slowly return to the northern parts from that jumping board. It would be disastrous if that last castle would fall.

Will it if Zuma becomes president? Or is this maybe the best opportunity to get past the ANC dominating position and unify the opposition to get to power and reform the country?

Are the ACDP sane? Do they have support of conservatives (in like American/European sense) or like a principled conservative position or are they just leftist populists in the cloak of christianity like so many christian democratic parties?

Best wishes from Iceland, I hope to wisit the beutiful country of SA and its neighbours one day,

Leifur

[lapster]

The situation in SA has deteriorated significantly since the West engineered the downfall of the pre-ANC government. And I expect that deterioration will accelerate as Mandela’s successors manifest their penchant for violence and villainy. Remember, these are the folks that invented necklacing.

If you really want to find a country where democracy is flourishing and hope abounds, I would suggest you look towards Ghana. That country has a fine and noble people who have no track record of violence. Several years back they became the first African nation ever to change governments through a free election. And their protections for personal and economic freedom are outstanding. With 344 miles of pristine beaches, it’s a gret place to invest.

[Leifur]

Well that is propably right about Ghana at least. The National Party was pretty socialistic though, with a very bloated beuracracy providing work for every white man, not a good way to create a healthy society. So their mess was what started everything I would believe.

But would you please answer some of my question and try to fill me up with the situation there, I mean it has had a good solid economic growth now for some time, and the whites are propably strong in the private sector still I would believe, maybe working abrod for a time and then returning with their savings and investing. So SA has a lot of potential, but is it now going to fall during this critical make or brake time when growth has started but hasn´t reached all yeat?

[Ironfocus]

There has been a steady decline in the infrastructure in South Africa over the last 12 years. Rolling blackouts are common, 400 schools need to be built to catch up with demand, state health care is in a shambles and of course crime is rampant due to a powerless judicial system.

I get the feeling that people feel that Zimbabwe was sort of an overnight thing, where Mugabe woke up one morning and decided to be irrational. It wasn’t the case, it developed slowly over many years, like a red shiny apple rotting from the core. This is also what seems to be happening in South Africa.

The split in the ANC is also not a sudden one. There has always been a radical communist wing in the ANC, and they had quite a few seats on the ANC’s executive committee, their ruling body. Zuma emerged as the leader of the radical wing, made up mostly of the younger post-struggle generation, the more militant trade unions and the staunch economic socialists. Zuma has no formal education of any kind, and is a career political/military activist. As such he is portrayed as the common man, down to earth and in tune with what the people need.

Given the expectations of his support base, the already bloated social spending (close to 70%) of the annual government budget, will expand even more. I don’t know how that will be financed, given that infrastructure spending is already falling way short.

Unfortunately there is no viable second party. Each of the opposition parties have their own baggage, and the majority black parties all have tribal connotations that render them powerless to gain votes across ethnic lines. The IFP is majority Zulu, and no Xhosas will vote for them. However, I don’t think that Zuma will take the traditional votes away from the IFP. The ACDP is Tswana, for example, and their supporters are those that come from the Lucas Mangope days in Bophuthatswana, a fairly conservative party but insignificantly small. The DA is perceived as the rich whites complaints party.

The ANC may split, but those who are more conservative than Zuma will struggle to build a party and brand name to compete with the ANC. Remember, those that voted for the ANC before voted for them because they saw no other option, and I think that Mbeki and his followers are too loyal to the ANC to start a new party, so the broas vote in SA will remain loyal to the ANC. Zuma’s election is also the result of broad disillusionment with Mbeki’s moderate policies. Zuma polls high among voters.

The growth in the South African economy was pretty much illusionary. It was built around legislation that no-one may be denied a loan, so the sales of goods exploded. In a country with ~35% unemployment that is not a great idea, and that is coming home to roost now.

Whites and blacks that left the country are not keen to go back, and having experience of the steady decline, will also not invest their money back there.

[puroresu]

Remember, “majority rule” to liberals means the dictator has the same skin color as the people he rules over.

[Leifur]

Such problems sound like classic case of socialistic/government run systems. So you are saying that the old government did not make sure there was enough private system for its people to use in a changed environment?

Of course Zimbabwe was not an overnight thing, although what happened there though overnight was that instead of recongnising the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia government of the Internal Settlement Carter and sadly Thatcher pressed for new elections (if I am not mistaken Mugabe could have participated in the old ones that created the post Rhodesia country but didn´t want to renounce violence and called for people to stay at home wich two thirds of them did not do) instead of allowing the previously only free elections in African country of all its citizens to be recognised and the government of the Bishop Muzorewa (jointly with Smith) to sit out its tenure of what 4 years. Instead Mugabe appeared as the victor from the Lancaster House discussions and thus obviously (and with some coercion propably) won the new elections.

But I was hoping that the more balanced transition in South Africa and more importantly its vibrant free market system (I hoped for all services) and strong capitalistic minority would be able to reverse the tide. Is that totally unpossible?

How about Namibia, there is at least strong Afrikaans minority right? How about the Afrikaans, are they a healthy society looking forward or just stuck in believing they must restore some sort of separatism? Is the language surviving?

Hum, about what you say about the tribalism, aren´t the Xhoxa stronger in the more moderate camp of the ANC as Zuma er Zulu? I was wondering if that was the case and the political system as tribalistic as you say is it not conceivable that they would leave the ANC en masse either creating their own (potential ally of the DA) or joining some other party?

About the ACDP aren´t you mixing it up with the UCDP:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Christian_Democratic_Party

Or am I misunderstanding something? This party seems to be rife in feminism or am I misunderstanding?

How about the African Christian Democratic Party:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Christian_Democratic_Party

Does that party have the potential of gaining support among the blacks? Are they also a tribal party? Aren´t the blacks christians in most cases? Are they religious and potentially conservative if they would see things as US (and many of us in the west) christians have learned during the years how socialism is anathema to christendom?

It seems to me the most recent development is because of the failures you tell me about in the governing system, sadly the people seem to be blaming the wrong things (and right ones though), instead of saying there ain´t enough market freedom they seem to be saying there ain´t enough socialism, and thus making the same mistakes most other african nations have done in the past but many seem to be reversing from now, like f.e. Angola and Zimbabwe if I am not mistaken?

Pleace tell me more of how things are in SA, I am very interested and don´t know anyone there although some family members of mine have been there.