Zuma, the man behind Shikota

Who is the judge on morality.What is moral about Lekota/Shilowa?They talk of respect for constitution yet they have as one of their leaders Mlungisi Hlongwane of SANCO who wanted constitional amendment to allow for ana extention of Mbeki's term as State President.It's contradictory.They talk of respect for elders, yet when Mbeki slap Winnie Mandela in front of young people in Orlando Stadium they were silent.Sheer hypocrisy.When Tutu accused Mbeki of "silencing debate" Mbeki lashed out at Tutu in a very terrible manner.They said nothing.Is that respect for elders.I'm either pro Mbeki/Pro Zuma but I'm just observing sheer hypocrisy by the so called "constitionalist".I have taken time to listen all sides & believe me I think Zuma when ever he speaks about issues that matter to South Africans he speaks so much sense.We are sick & tired of THEORIES its time for actions like Zuma says.Guess what Zuma was aquitted of rape, so what he said in court worked.It was a legal strategy & it worked.The sooner we accept that Zuma is going to be our persident the better.On wednesday he said "ehough is enough" about Zimbabwe and the next day Cabinet follow suit.So it must clear to anyone that the Man is alreay in charge.

Your analysis is too limited. South Africans are not stupid. We see the rot in the ANC, and what as a party it has become. Zuma is merely the face of that rot and removing him would make some impact but not likely enough to insure an ANC victory. Its the corruption and all its tentacles throughout the ruling regime that South Africans reject. As it is said: birds of a feather flock together. And don't be so sure the ANC will win, that is no longer a certainty. What is a certainty is that we the people want an honest and effective government.

You have rightfully said it, yours are middle class concerns and Shikota is just a bunch of losers who are being cheered up into oblivion by the DA(for obvious reason) and white leaning media. They do not have grass roots support and all they have done is create jobs for themselves through Shikota(They need to since they lost their power base in ANC) Interestingly enough, you chose to ignore the vital fact that Zuma did not become the ANC leader through a coup. Instead he was democractically elected according to ANC's own rules.So why the demonising of Zuma by the press. It show the presses own contempt for the masses. Let the polls show wether the generality of South Africans like Zuma or Not rather than continue recycling the Mbekite and DA anti-Zuma crap!

The voting masses out there, not the unloyal middle-class, do not care about things such as equality before the law, morals, defending the Constitution etc. These issues are far removed from their everyday reality of these To them the issue is about bread and butter issues jobs, houses,health education.
The problem with the Shikota group is that it is formed by people who have either been defeated in the contest for leadership positions within the ANC or know that they soon loose their position after the 2009 elections or business people who have realised that their connections within the ANC have lost power. Polokwane signalled change within the ANC and logically change always threatens those who are the beneficiaries of the status quo in this case the middle-class and the elite. They will find it difficult to convince the voting masses as top what difference they will make.

SHIKOTA was conceived long before Polokwane. I say this based on Shilowa's cocmment during the convention when he said, "we want to be the next government". To me this is an indication that these people do not want to relinquish power and they realised that staying in the ANC will mean that they must live like ordinary members of the movement and that did not go down well with them. They must not mislead the public into believing the propaganda they are spreading about the ANC. There is nothing wrong about forming your own political party but they must not tell lies in the process.

It is pleasing to note that a lot of people don't want a flawed president and are prepared to fight for a decent one. Shilowa has a good record and would make a good president.

Also there is a big difference between leading a political party and running a country. Two completely different skill sets are needed. We should go back to seperating the executive of the country from the Presidency.

The recession that is coming will damage the ANC badly as it has no policies to defend job losses. The mines and motor industry are going to have a painfull period yet on a shrinking tax base the ANC wants to up social spending.

Kaglema said that we will not have a recession - up to that point I liked the guy but now ....

The elections are going to happen at the same time as the recession starts to bite. That will not be good for the ANC but will help COP.

While we are bickering about who belongs to which party, is anyone looking at what services are being currently delivered to the masses of our people? The paralyses of service delivering is in shocking proportions and it is not making headlines and neither is it on the agenda of discussions. Iam deeply alarmed at how we (the people that are supposed to govern in this democracy) are taking our eyes away from the ball. Service delivery, access to opportunities for enlightenment and upliftment are the true liberaters. We have yet to achieve these completely and yet people are worried about power. History will not remember any power monger well they actually will become the footnote of history. Do "the people" want to be remembered as those who stood by while our country was lagging behid in development. Wake up South Africa, this is not about individual aspirations this is about how we survive as a nation through development within a globalised world!

I like your point of view on the reasons mentioned on the article, however, you omitted the anger, fear of not being able to give tenders, possible investigations on corruption, no support on grassroots,possibilities of expulsion, having to look for other careers as second terms are ending,etc. People who are not going to vote for the ANC are mainly those who were going to vote for the opposition and it a plus for the ANC. Thought of that?

If it is true that the distrust of one man has resulted in the creation of new party then certainly that new party cannot grow to any real strength. However it may equally be true that Zuma is a direct result of a distrust in Mbeki, his continued failure in Zimbabwe, his unwillingness to do anything about aids, his priming of the economy at the expense of infrastructure maintenance and development (e.g. electricity/eskom), the manner in which he killed or shut off any political opponent/or successor, ( the only one he could not stop was Zuma, though the record is clear on how he tried), and so on,.... and so on ... and so on.... Is it not possible that there are more than one bases for a new party, a distrust in its leader, but more importantly an opportunity in the political landscape to create a party on the lack of performance in the ANC.

What a sober and rational analysis Mr Rapulane!

Let us not forget how unhappy a number of poor people have been especially here in Gauteng. The Congress of the People is not the only challenge that the ANC is faced with. It will be very futile for the ANC if it does not come with concrete position on how it is going to improve service delivery, revive the BBEEE, Skills Development and Employment Equity policies that have failed so far.

BBEEE, Skills Development and EE affect both the poor and the middle class. Although these policies have been arround for many years, I have not started benefiting from them. Foreign capitalists aided by corrupt polititions continue to loot the wealth of my land while my parents are dying of AIDS and my sibblings are suffering chronic unemployment with degree behind their names.

I am of the opinion that we have shifted our focus from the prize here, the prize being a democratic country where all it's people are equal and the constitutional laws do not favour any individual. And therefore we as people work hard for that goal to be realised. Now, going back to the analysis just made, to me it seems ironical that we now have a political party comprising mainly of ex-ANC members if not entirely, that alone as a South African citizen confuses the hell out of me as to where the difference comes from between the ANC that we know and this new party. Have they gone and quickly remembered all good values of leadership, have they now miraculously identified and found solutions to problems of this country? And why this happenned after Polokwane and before 2009 elections, why now? When I even begin to answer all these questions I suddenly realise that this so called change has nothing to do with me as the South African citizen, but all to do with people who want to hold on to some sort of power. I can't help but think that they still represent the old ANC that some of us have lost faith in, perhaps without them at ANC, maybe that's when we'll see real change coming from the NEW ANC. At least the division we 'know' about will be no longer for a while. I hope in future we do not see more and more parties breaking away from a movement that has worked so hard to liberate our nation, and I hope the current leaders get their act together and realise what is happening and work towards delivering on the promises they make.

The ANC is claiming that people,names,songs and everything else is being stolen from them. This is not only naive or utter foolish but mostly disrepects the masses of this country. It assumes that people are owned by the ANC and therefore no matter how foolish the ANC can act people cannot make up their minds themselves since they are owned by the ANC. Tell you what,I alwals voted for the ANC without even listening to manifesto. It was out of respect for the leadership who, to people are the party.Now the so called leaders do not respect people, the culture of morality is thrown out as "THIS IS NOT A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY" they say. The current ANC is a shame to what the likes of Oliver Thambo, Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, Mama Thambo, Mama Sisulu and a lot of others to who morality respect and good reputation was not just talked about as ZUMA thinks, but lived. The poor people cannot be manipulated and used forever, you can fool some people sometimes but you cannot fool all the people all the time MrZUMA, Mr Malema and Mama Motsega soon this is going to catch up with you. Masses cannot be fooled because they are poor. See you at the elections, you will be surprised to find that people are not as dumb as you hope and make them to be.

We join organisations to grow - as we learn of new and exciting things in our interactions with others and once an organisation cease to provide such an excitement, growth stops. I have been with the ANC for more than half of my life as it provided such excitement - I grew faster than my age. I attended a screaming match Policy Conference in June 2007 and was disappointed at how only one view mattered most and how JZ encouraged tearing apart of Cde. Joel Netshitenzhe's presentation of scenarios or options on the issue which was tearing the ANC apart - the contestation of Presidency! The problem was not the difference of opinions but the manner in how this was done. This screaming and attacks on persons advancing different views filtered down to branches, caucuses and conferences of the ANC and the organization stagnated. It is important to understand Mr. Tabane that you can only understand the specific once you have the benefit of understanding the general.You are oversimplifying a very complex issue - an organisation that has stopped talking, teaching and respecting an aspect that has always set us apart from the rest - culture of engagement! Once that is non existent - our ability to grow is curtailed and we cannot allow that!I follow an alternative that will contribute to my growth as a person and COPE will provide me with that opportunity to grow!Thank you Cdes. Lekota,George,Shilowa,Lobe,Hleko and many others who helped me see things differently as I was silently suffocating in the ANC and even without Zuma the culture he and others have created even Pre - Polokwane will still be with the ANC thus COPE will continue to be a provider for that space for those of us who want to continue growing.