Former provincial chief joins ANC rebels

JOHANNESBURG, Wednesday

The former premier of South Africa’s richest province resigned from the ruling African National Congress today and said he would join a group threatening to form a breakaway party.

The creation of a splinter group would be the most serious division in the 96-year history of the ANC, which has ruled unchallenged since the end of apartheid in 1994, and would raise questions about the political direction of Africa’s biggest economy.

Mbhazima Shilowa, who had stepped down as Gauteng premier in protest against the ANC’s removal of former President Thabo Mbeki, told a news conference he would support the breakaway group led by former Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota.

Suspended

Shilowa, one of the ANC’s most respected officials and a favourite among the business community, announced his decision two days after the party suspended Lekota for threatening to form a breakaway party.

As former premier of South Africa’s financial and industrial heartland and home to the capital, Pretoria, Shilowa could add weight to the dissidents led by Lekota, although they still lacked expressions of support from any major party figures. "I have decided to resign my membership from the ANC with immediate effect and to lend my support to the initiative by making myself available on a full-time basis as a convener and volunteer-in-chief together with comrade Mosiuoa," he said. ANC leader Jacob Zuma said yesterday the party would crack down on dissent. The dissidents were "hell bent to destroy the ANC from within", said ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe. The party’s National Executive Committee is expected to hold a meeting shortly to discuss the rebellion. ANC spokeswoman Jessie Duarte told Reuters the party accepted Shilowa’s resignation and "we wish him well in his new venture".

Mbeki was forced out and replaced by Kgalema Motlanthe after a judge accused him of meddling in a corruption case against Zuma. Motlanthe is expected to step down after next year’s elections and Zuma to take over as president.

New party

It is not clear how much support former ANC chairman Lekota has, although he has said hundreds of local party supporters have resigned and regional and provincial ANC branches are contemplating leaving the party.

Shilowa said forming a new party could be difficult.

"If you are going to form a political party, there’s no short cut. It’s a hard slog. It’s important that no one has any illusions. It’s not going to be a walk in the park. But, once an organiser, always an organiser," he said.

—Reuters