NCA Press Statement

South Africa once revered since 1994 for respecting democratic processes has now just turned to be like any other African country especially Zimbabwe (if the events to and at Limpopo are anything to go by). The road to Limpopo has been marred with high suspicion of vote rigging leading to its 52nd session Conference.
The African National Conference’s over 4000 delegates who are supposed to participate in this election expressed no confidence in the electronic counting and monitoring of the electioneering process.
A bigger number strongly backing the party deputy president Jacob Zuma showed high suspicion over the computerized systems in the voting process as they suspect the literate Mbeki camp would manipulate the system. At the eve of the Limpopo Conference ANC’s youth league president Fikile Mbalula pointed out clearly that issues of vote buying was being done by other factions as a way of securing victory.
About 177 delegates who were supposed to participate in the voting process were thrown out of which 96 are from Gauteng a section where Zuma seems to be enjoying much support with President Mbeki losing 26 from his Eastern Cape region. In the build up to this Conference there have been also issues of blackmailing through the use of media. Zuma has been suffering blistering attacks from SABC whilst Mbeki suffered most from the Sunday Times where Zuma sympathizers have major stakes.
All these issues have at one point come up in African countries especially Zimbabwe where we are seeing unacceptable levels of political chicanery. We had hoped that South Africa will show better political maturity but it seems Africa still has a long way to go.
Whatever the outcome of the Limpopo Conference the ANCs reputation on democracy will have suffered a heavy blow and will not be easy to mend. Failure of tolerance by the rival factions will conclude African history of post colonial democratic survival as highly questionable.
The NCA is concerned that African countries are failing to show maturity when it comes to issues of democracy. As it appears that in the process of transition African politicians end up using the same instruments as those used by our former colonial masters.
By Maddock Chivasa
Spokesperson
National Constitutional Assembly Zimbabwe