ANC Conference - Sunday Dec 16,2012

In his opening address at the ANC conference to choose its leadership for the next five years, Jacob Zuma, the South African President, has acknowledged that corruption and violence have marred the image of the African National Congress (ANC) under his watch, but called on members to again support him to be the party's leader.

Jacob Zuma said two downgrades by international ratings agencies this year did not mean South Africa was in trouble.

Some 4,000 delegates gathered on Sunday for the start of the party's Mangaung conference, being held in the city also known as Bloemfontein, and listened to Zuma offer occasionally candid comments about the party's issues.

ANC is deeply and bitterly divided between those who want to see the current president,Jacob Zuma,  elected for another 5-year term, and those seeking a fresh start for a party rocked by scandal and fierce public anger over deepening inequality, stark poverty and joblessness.

Jacob Zuma’s Deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, is seeking to unseat Jacob Zuma as the leader of the party, and presumably as president once national elections are held in 2014. As the conference got under way, supporters of  Jacob Zuma sang songs to praise him and held up two fingers, a show of support for his second-term bid. Others rolled their hands, miming soccer fans calling for a player to be substituted, a gesture of support for Kgalema Motlanthe.

 

Note
The ANC has had bruising leadership battles before, particularly the fierce fight between Jacob Zuma and his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, at the previous leadership conference in 2007, leading to Thabo Mbeki’s ouster as party chief.