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South Africa's ruling party heading for split
A leading dissident within South Africa's ruling ANC has said it would now be hard to halt plans to launch a breakaway party.
- Agencies
- Published: 11:43 October 10, 2008
Johannesburg: A leading dissident within South Africa's ruling ANC has said it would now be hard to halt plans to launch a breakaway party.
Former deputy defence minister Mluleki George had joined ex defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota on Wednesday in threatening to split the African National Congress following the ousting of Thabo Mbeki as president last month.
"There's a lot of movement and it will be difficult to stop," George said in an interview with South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper published on Friday.
Mbeki's removal has unleashed South Africa's worst political crisis since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Lekota, who failed to show up for a meeting with ANC leaders on Thursday to discuss differences, has called for a congress of forces opposed to the ANC's current policies and direction.
Analysts have said a breakaway party would be hard-pressed to secure enough funding and get organised ahead of elections due around April of next year.
George was optimistic.
"Of course we're going to need money, we can't deny that. But there's a lot of goodwill out there. Surely we'll raise money once we get going," said George, adding that he knew of black companies that will provide money.
The breakaway group would represent the biggest split in Africa's oldest political party for 50 years.
"We've done our homework. We've looked at all the options and believe this is a viable option. We wouldn't be doing it if we didn't know it will succeed," said George.
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