 President Mbeki’s fate will be known at the party’s 52 session conference (16-20 December) senior proponents of Jacob Zuma his deputy says his failure to clearly address the Zimbabwean crisis had hugely contributed to his current fate.
 A senior member of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) a strong Zuma ally said Mbeki had defiantly defended the Robert Mugabe regime which has ruined the country and said as a sign of disgruntlement Mbeki would be ousted.
 South Africa Communist Party (SACP) senior members also added that quite diplomacy which had been implemented by some elements in South Africa had worsened the Zimbabwean situation hence Mbeki would pay a huge price for that.
 Meanwhile Jacob Zuma recently addressing delegates at the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg attacked tyrannical leaders in Africa and warned South Africa from falling into the same trap.
 Political analyst Tapera Kapuya said Zuma’s comments were a clear challenge to President Mugabe’s rule and centralization of power by his South African counterpart which might see him changing foreign policy when he takes over from Mbeki.
 Since Zuma enjoys much of his support from COSATU and SACP who have openly attacked the dictatorship tendencies in Zimbabwe and centralization of power at the Union Building (President’s office) Zuma’s comments can be taken as a de-campaign method on his arch-rival Thabo Mbeki, said Kapuya.
 President Mbeki is accused by Zimbabweans and some western countries for failing to decisively deal with the Zimbabwean case which has seen over a third of the population (5 million) moving out of the country.
 Meanwhile well placed sources within the diplomatic office said ZANU PF’s political consultant Dr Ibbo Mandaza had been asked by his party to liaise in private with Jacob Zuma over policy issues in an event Mbeki is ousted.
Post published in: News