South African Presidential "race"

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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In December the (ruling party in South Africa) will decide who will be their President for the following number of years.

Pres. Thabo Mbeki (President of South Africa) wants to be re-elected as President of the ANC. As President of the ANC he will be in the position to push his own wo/man for the job as President of South Africa and through this person circumvent the constitutional prohibition on a third term for himself. He will be able to control this person so that he still remain the man in power.

His major opposition is Mr. Jacob Zuma (facing corruption charges and recently aquitted as rapist). He has the major support of all normal working class people and all Zulus. His character is though tainted will all the scandals in his life. By becoming the ANC President, he will surely also become the next South African President in 2009.

Another man that says he is interested in the job is Mr. Tokyo Segwale (a very wealthy business man). Although saying he want the job, he still has not been nominated.

Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa (a very weathly business man) has been nominated. There is a feeling that the ANC might choose him as a compromise candidate to anti-Mbeki and anti-Zuma feelings in the party.

Some people say Mr Motlanthe (ANC Secretary) is also in the running as also Mr. Terror Lekota.

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Re: South African Presidential "race"

so educate us old man
what are teh current issues in SA, what are the big things ppl want, and how do these candidates differ in how they propose to address them?

thanks,

Fantasy Cricket - Cricket World Cup 2011
Fantasy Cricket - Cricket World Cup 2011
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Re: South African Presidential "race"

The "big" issues in South Africa is:

  1. Runnaway AIDS
  2. Runaway violent crime
  3. Corruption, nepotism and money wasting by government and semi-government
  4. Alienation of minority groups
  5. Siding with dictators and reprssive regimes
  6. Unemployment

Unfortunately the ANC believe that the hopeful candidates should not canvass ANC delegates, therefor there are NO proposals from candidates on how they will attack above issues.

India Vs Ireland (06th March) @Bangalore
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Re: South African Presidential "race"

Mr Jacob Zuma has won the Presidential race of the ANC. He pulled 60% of the vote of ANC delegates against Mr Thabo Mbeki. The ANC electorate basically gave a huge thumbs down for Mbeki by routing all his major supporters from senior positions.

Mbeki will remain President of South Africa till elections in 2009 while Zuma will start dictating policy from the ANC headquarters. Can only be an interesting period since the two camps hate each other.

With corruption charges looming over Zuma, the possibility of Mr Kgalema Motlanthe (voted as Deputy-President of the ANC) to succeed Mbeki as President of South Africa is a real posibility.

This was the first time in the history of the ANC that the battle for supremacy was fought with two defining camps. There was a real posibility that a split in the party would have been hastened if Zuma did not win.

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Re: South African Presidential "race"

The five Mbeki persons that lost against Zuma's favorites for the senior positions were:

Nkosama Zuma - Divorced wife of Zuma and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Joel Net****henze - Policy co-ordination and Advisory Services in The Presidency
Mosiuoa Lekota - Minister of Defence
Thoko Didiza - Minister of Public Works
Phumzile M-Ngcuka - Deputy President of South Africa

As can be seen, VERY senior people in the kabinet of Mbeki. None of the Zuma people are Cabinet Ministers.

Now if we can only get rid of the following pathetic Ministers, then South Africa has a chance to be a success:

Xinqwana - Agriculture and Land Affairs
Cassaburi - Communications
Balfour - Correctional Services
Msimang - Health
Nqakula - Home Affairs
Mabandla - Justice
Mdladlana - Labour
Nqakula - Safety and Security (Police)
Radebe - Transport

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Re: South African Presidential "race"

Interesting thread The Old Man!

I agree with your list! i want to add Interpol and SAPS chief Jackie Selebi, as media has exposed him, i think he should resign and then arrested.

As for Zuma, many South Africans hate him because he is a zulu. hehe.
But i think he'll be a great leader and what i liked is that he wants to bring back the death penalty. Capital punishment is the only way left to cope with serious crimes in South Africa.

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Re: South African Presidential "race"

I don't think JZ will try and bring the death sentence back. He just used the issue for popularity sake before the conferrence. He might make some other changes that will help though...

Interesting that Mbeki let the National Protection Authority go ahead and try JZ for corruption, etc. This really threw the cat among the pigions. I expect that the JZ-supporters in the NEC will take Mbeki to task. It might even be possible that Mbeki will be forced to resign. Interesting times for South Africa in 2008...