Moipone Malefane Sunday Times, Published:Aug 09, 2009
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s criticism of President Jacob Zuma’s appointment of “minorities” to strategic economic positions was not a spontaneous outburst — but is part of a debate raging within the party’s official structures.
The Sunday Times can reveal that the issue was discussed by the party’s national working committee on Monday, when ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe angrily defended Zuma’s appointments.
The ministers of police and of defence, Nathi Mthethwa and Lindiwe Sisulu respectively, and former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni, are among those who questioned why the economic cluster was run by people from minority groups.
Zuma was present when the matter was raised, but it is not clear whether he took part in the discussion.
Malema set the cat among the pigeons on Thursday when he said publicly that he was worried that Zuma had appointed members of minority groups to lead key economic ministries and the Reserve Bank.
The ministers in the economic cluster are Pravin Gordhan (finance), Ebrahim Patel (economic development), Rob Davies (trade and industry) and Barbara Hogan (public enterprises).
Former Absa chairman Gill Marcus was recently appointed governor of the Reserve Bank, to replace Tito Mboweni.
Sisulu, Yengeni and Mthethwa were vocal at the NWC meeting, maintaining that the ANC needed to stick to its transformational agenda , the Sunday Times was told.
The NWC, which is charged with running the day-to-day affairs of the ANC, holds its meetings on a fortnightly basis.
A party official quoted Sisulu, who heads the ANC’s social transformation committee, as telling the meeting the ANC “should not be ashamed of empowering and affirming black people in positions of power”.
“She argued that the ANC needed to be clear on transformation and stick to its agenda.”
Malema is a member of the NWC. T he Sunday Times was told he left the meeting before it had finished discussing the issue.
According to a senior member of the NWC, another concern is that not all the economic cluster ministers were members of the ANC national executive committee. The official said this meant it was going to be difficult for the party to hold them to account for their performance in government.
“It means we must invite them to the NEC meeting to brief us. That is wrong. We are not questioning their credentials, but they are not in any leadership structures of the ANC,” the official said. Another NWC member said the “radical” way to address the issue would be for Zuma to reshuffle his cabinet.
Although no decision was taken, an angry Mantashe asked why the ministers were “today being called the minority group, which is not a familiar word used in the ANC” because the party was a nonracial organisation. Mantashe is said to have asked if critics of the appointments had “adopted a new way of talking in the ANC”.
The discussion had been kept secret until Malema went public, saying on Thursday : “We, black people, cannot just be reduced to security while the very important issue of the economy is given to minorities.
“Minister of police (Mthethwa), minister of intelligence (Siyabonga Cwele), minister of justice (Jeff Radebe) — they are all Africans.
“But in the economics cluster, it’s minorities.”
Malema said that while the youth league welcomed the appointment of Marcus as the Reserve Bank governor it would have expected, once again, “an African child to occupy that strategic position”.
“We need to build confidence in the markets that Africans are also capable of handling strategic positions in the economic sector.
“Otherwise, black youths will not believe that they could one day work in strategic economic positions. The youth will think, because Marcus is white, they (whites) are born like that; there’s no way I can be like that.”
Yengeni refused to comment, saying he was not the spokesman for the ANC.
Mthethwa yesterday sought to downplay the issue, saying the ANC position on building a nonracial South Africa was clear. “There is no such a thing as coloureds and Indians as they were also part of the struggle,” he said.
Sisulu could not be reached for comment.
— malefanem@sundaytimes.co.za
August 9, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Julius Malema and others ANC leaders to call for the removal of senior leaders of the ANC from office because of the colour of their skin and or belonging to “Minority Groups” takes us back to the good old apartheid days.
One of the many challenges which the ANC faces is the emergence of tribalism and naked racism within it ranks.
But what is worrying and frightening is the fact that the ANC does not does not know how to deal with racism within its leadership and rank and file. Is it because racism, tribalism and xenophobia is being openly articulated by a powerful group within its NEC and by leaders at local and provincial levels.
If the head of the ANC youth league can say and lobby for the removal of people and not be publicly challenged by the organisations President and office bearers is a sign that the country is in deep trouble.
What does the ANC leaders who are now openly tramplying the policies of the organisation and the constitution expect from members of minority groups to do in the face of this assault on their dignity. Just roll over and keep quite?
Well we fought the rabid racists within the Congress Movement and the PAC and the White racists Apartheid regime and we will fight the Malema’s and the other racists within the ANC and its Alliance partners.
August 9, 2009 at 6:06 pm
it just occurred to me, what the racists in the ANC have against minorities? What will it take or how long will it take to change their attitudes.
No long ago many were part of a minority in exile, underground or in jail.
They have now become part of a majority. But the sons and daughters of this majority, now require a lot of gun toting policemen and women to enter the homes, hostels and squatter camps of the majority. You may argue that not being able to deliver, is but a stage in the road to a socialists South Africa or is it a stage on the road to a national democratic revolution. viva the minorities.
Someone send me an sms :comrade why you so angry. Why not I say.
Do you want me to start a million signature campaign to convince the President of the ANC to send members of the movement found guilty of promoting racism and racial hostility to special re-education camp. I don’t think so the poor guy has his handful – what would the webenzies trying to sell him a second hand model.