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ANC says no plans for early election
South Africa's ruling ANC denied a report that some of its senior officials may push for an early general election to try to undermine plans by former party members to form a breakaway group.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:47 October 16, 2008
Johannesburg: South Africa's ruling ANC denied a report that some of its senior officials may push for an early general election to try to undermine plans by former party members to form a breakaway group.
Gwede Mantashe, ANC Secretary-General, said this had not been discussed at a meeting of the party's executive and dismissed the report as a rumour.
Citing an anonymous insider, The Star newspaper said some members of the party's National Executive Committee may press for an early poll as more regional and provincial executive members are expected to leave the party this week.
An election is not due until around April next year.
The executive committee met on Wednesday to discuss a rebellion led by former Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, who resigned after the ANC forced former president Thabo Mbeki to stand down.
Mbeki's ousting was the climax of a power struggle with Jacob Zuma, recently elected leader of the ANC, and has unleashed the country's worst political crisis since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Mbhazima Shilowa, the former premier of the country's richest province, announced on Wednesday he had resigned from the ANC and would join Lekota.
The creation of a new party would be the most serious division in the 96-year history of the ANC, which has ruled since the end of apartheid, and would raise questions about the political direction of Africa's biggest economy.
Shilowa, one of the ANC's most respected officials and a favourite with the business community, announced his decision two days after the party suspended Lekota for threatening to form a breakaway party.
It is not clear how much support Lekota, a former ANC chairman, has, though he has said hundreds of local party supporters have resigned and that regional and provincial ANC branches are contemplating leaving the party.
Mantashe expects more ANC members to quit.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, highly respected by markets, is widely expected to stay in the ANC.
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