Statement on the factional rantings of Thabo Mbeki

15 February 2016

The South African Communist Party (SACP) notes former president Thabo Mbeki’s continued factional obsession involving provocative attacks on the Party’s General Secretary, Comrade Blade Nzimande and other ANC leaders. Mbeki published a letter on his Facebook Page today,15 February 2016, isolating our General Secretary for having commented, welcoming the court ruling that declared, on 12 September 2008, the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) decision to prosecute President Jacob Zuma invalid.

The court’s decision was taken on the basis of evidence. Further evidence emerged, including telephone records indicating the existence of manipulation in the process that was followed to charge President Zuma. The NPA, on its own independent accord, thus dropped the charges.

The SACP stands by the positions it adopted in welcoming the court ruling and the NPA’s decision to drop the charges. In no particular manner shall the SACP allow Mbeki’s factional attempts to isolate its General Secretary. Comrade Blade Nzimande was correctly representing the Party’s positions. He was not acting as an individual representing nothing but self-centred rantings of a bitter person aloof from his organisation.

The SACP challenges Thabo Mbeki to refute the contents of a serious nature suggesting interference in the work of the NPA, manipulation and corruption on his part, contained in the story published by the Times Live on 17 January 2016:

“Back in 2003, former ANC president, Thabo Mbeki offered Jacob Zuma millions in return for him resigning following an announcement by former NPA head, Bulelani Ngcuka that there was a Prima Facie case against Zuma.

“This was revealed in papers filed by Zuma’s lawyer, Micheal Hulley last week [before 17 January 2016] which were published by the Mail & Guardian.

“‘It is correct that Mbeki asked Zuma to resign prior to the Ngcuka announcement in 2003,’ Hulley said in the documents.

“‘This was a request purportedly based on a huge case [volumes of data] against him [Zuma]. If Zuma left quietly, he would not be prosecuted and he would be well looked after financially [a R20m amount was mooted].’

“Hulley said Zuma, however, refused to resign and informed Mbeki and the former minister of justice, Penuell Maduna, that his understanding was that there was no case against him.

“‘I simply point out that Mbeki again asked Zuma to resign in June 2005. He again refused and Mbeki dismissed him in Parliament stating Zuma is to still have his day in court,’ Hulley added.”

The SACP reiterates its call on our national liberation movement, the tripartite alliance in particular, to unite behind the perspective of placing our democratic transition on to the second, more radical phase and not be distracted, among others by self-centred fellows who want modify history.

The alliance must focus on addressing the primary problems facing millions of our people, majority of whom is the working class, who were ravaged by the post-1996 liberalisation shock therapy.

Statement issued by the SACP, 15 February 2016