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Zuma camp bitter infighting occasions Duarte resignation
Sunday, February 28, 2010 | Comments: 9
By Michael Trapido ;
On the one hand President Jacob Zuma is accused of trying to appease everyone in the country, on the other most of his time as a politician over the past few years has been characterised by factional fighting both within the ANC itself and the Tripartite Alliance.
A Zuma paradox?
As we witnessed during the battle between former President Thabo Mbeki and Zuma no department was spared as the police, NIA, judiciary, NPA and even the Scorpions were thrown onto the bonfire of two men's vanities.
Currently as the ANC goes factional again it is the good names of SARS and the NIA which are once again being dragged down into the mud. Purportedly employed for mandates outside their general remit.
The Sunday Times (ST) is today reporting that Zuma's chief operations officer, Jessie Duarte, has resigned as ugly rivalries among Zuma's most senior officials threaten to cripple the Presidency.
What is of interest is the manner in which members of Zuma's inner circle ensure that other "undesirables" don't have access to the man at the top.
Is this a general tactic employed by the team guiding Zuma, because if it is divide and conquer they seek, it is playing havoc with his administration in the same way that the last full blown factional war did in the last one.
One of the main charges thrown at Mbeki before he was recalled was that he was aloof and inaccessible by design. Here it would seem as if Zuma is kept apart by those who would hold the reins of power.
And they don't appear to be necessarily coming out of the ANC NEC which is a cause for concern.
In a letter, which is covered by the ST in the link above, addressed by Duarte to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe she claims that "she needed "the freedom to engage with the issues and the smears that are now associated with my name". She added angrily: "We applaud bad behaviour in the ANC, we applaud vilification and even minute the lies people tell in our meetings. I am sorry to advise you that I will no longer be doing that. I cannot fight back trapped in the role of a civil servant. The bid for leadership in 2014 (the next general election) is rendering our movement a casualty for wealth and power."
Having just been elected that statement says more about the ruling party than anything submitted by the opposition todate.
It suggests that the real fight in South African politics involves who controls the leadership of the ANC and thereby access to wealth and power rather than concerns about policies or service delivery.
Victory in the elections are assumed and as such the only issue appears to be who gets to hand out the party favours.
If it were otherwise the continual tendency to fracture over leadership issues could be cured.
Up to now it seems there is no cure because the stakes for deployment and wealth are too high.
And that suggests that things are going to get a lot worse within the ANC before they get better.
On the one hand President Jacob Zuma is accused of trying to appease everyone in the country, on the other most of his time as a politician over the past few years has been characterised by factional fighting both within the ANC itself and the Tripartite Alliance.
A Zuma paradox?
As we witnessed during the battle between former President Thabo Mbeki and Zuma no department was spared as the police, NIA, judiciary, NPA and even the Scorpions were thrown onto the bonfire of two men's vanities.
Currently as the ANC goes factional again it is the good names of SARS and the NIA which are once again being dragged down into the mud. Purportedly employed for mandates outside their general remit.
The Sunday Times (ST) is today reporting that Zuma's chief operations officer, Jessie Duarte, has resigned as ugly rivalries among Zuma's most senior officials threaten to cripple the Presidency.
What is of interest is the manner in which members of Zuma's inner circle ensure that other "undesirables" don't have access to the man at the top.
Is this a general tactic employed by the team guiding Zuma, because if it is divide and conquer they seek, it is playing havoc with his administration in the same way that the last full blown factional war did in the last one.
One of the main charges thrown at Mbeki before he was recalled was that he was aloof and inaccessible by design. Here it would seem as if Zuma is kept apart by those who would hold the reins of power.
And they don't appear to be necessarily coming out of the ANC NEC which is a cause for concern.
In a letter, which is covered by the ST in the link above, addressed by Duarte to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe she claims that "she needed "the freedom to engage with the issues and the smears that are now associated with my name". She added angrily: "We applaud bad behaviour in the ANC, we applaud vilification and even minute the lies people tell in our meetings. I am sorry to advise you that I will no longer be doing that. I cannot fight back trapped in the role of a civil servant. The bid for leadership in 2014 (the next general election) is rendering our movement a casualty for wealth and power."
Having just been elected that statement says more about the ruling party than anything submitted by the opposition todate.
It suggests that the real fight in South African politics involves who controls the leadership of the ANC and thereby access to wealth and power rather than concerns about policies or service delivery.
Victory in the elections are assumed and as such the only issue appears to be who gets to hand out the party favours.
If it were otherwise the continual tendency to fracture over leadership issues could be cured.
Up to now it seems there is no cure because the stakes for deployment and wealth are too high.
And that suggests that things are going to get a lot worse within the ANC before they get better.
1480 Bernie Madoff
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 3:05:03 PM ]
Mike,
Before I was blacklisted on Thought Leader, I posted the following on your blog re Jessie Duarte....
Trapz,
You correctly write;
“In order for that Constitution to fulfil its functions in respect of corruption and accountability, which are after all in the interests of all South Africans, it needs an independent judiciary and organs of state which operate without fear of reprisals from the government or ruling party.”
I think that you would agree that a free press is also crucial. However, The ANC seems to be running scared.
“When asked what the agenda of these media could be Jesse Duarte (heads up communications and is the spokesperson for the ANC) replies that she cannot speak on behalf of the likes of The Saturday Star, Business Day, Citizen or Sunday Times. Adds Duarte: “What we all don’t want is for the media to influence the agenda of the ANC and this is a very real concern. We do believe that they do at times try to do this, particularly when it comes to the issue of media stories written citing unnamed sources.”
However why shouldn’t the media influence the agenda of The ANC?
In democracies, papers of different political persuasions try to influence government agenda. Why is The ANC so scared? They are, moreover, a ruling party who has already secured victory at the next election. Seems like they want MORE than their cake and just eating it.
Duarte also says: “We believe that there are journalists who are exceptionally hostile to the ANC and there are those who are objective and do their job. Our analysis shows that those who are not objective are the most hostile towards the ANC.”
Surely it is reasonable that there are journalists “who are exceptionally hostile to the ANC”. Isn’t that at the core of a free press? Do journalists have to be”objective” when they criticize the govt?
BLACKLISTED DICTATOR on September 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Before I was blacklisted on Thought Leader, I posted the following on your blog re Jessie Duarte....
Trapz,
You correctly write;
“In order for that Constitution to fulfil its functions in respect of corruption and accountability, which are after all in the interests of all South Africans, it needs an independent judiciary and organs of state which operate without fear of reprisals from the government or ruling party.”
I think that you would agree that a free press is also crucial. However, The ANC seems to be running scared.
“When asked what the agenda of these media could be Jesse Duarte (heads up communications and is the spokesperson for the ANC) replies that she cannot speak on behalf of the likes of The Saturday Star, Business Day, Citizen or Sunday Times. Adds Duarte: “What we all don’t want is for the media to influence the agenda of the ANC and this is a very real concern. We do believe that they do at times try to do this, particularly when it comes to the issue of media stories written citing unnamed sources.”
However why shouldn’t the media influence the agenda of The ANC?
In democracies, papers of different political persuasions try to influence government agenda. Why is The ANC so scared? They are, moreover, a ruling party who has already secured victory at the next election. Seems like they want MORE than their cake and just eating it.
Duarte also says: “We believe that there are journalists who are exceptionally hostile to the ANC and there are those who are objective and do their job. Our analysis shows that those who are not objective are the most hostile towards the ANC.”
Surely it is reasonable that there are journalists “who are exceptionally hostile to the ANC”. Isn’t that at the core of a free press? Do journalists have to be”objective” when they criticize the govt?
BLACKLISTED DICTATOR on September 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
1479 Bernie Madoff
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 1:49:11 PM ]
Mike,
What kills me is your assumption that Duarte is "honourable".
How do you know that Lakela isn't "the honourable" one?
What kills me is your assumption that Duarte is "honourable".
How do you know that Lakela isn't "the honourable" one?
1478 Mike Trapido
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 1:44:59 PM ]
Must be.
1477 Bernie Madoff
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 1:42:41 PM ]
Mike,
I know that you are ecstatically married so you might miss the sexual under-currents. When women fall out there is often a man involved. Now The Man is The President. And we do know that he has a penchant for The Ladies.
It is more than obvious to me that The President is probably spending more time with Lakela than he is with Jesse. As a result, Jesse's anger towards The President is being deflected towards Lakela.
It is obvious. I wonder whether you are asleep half the time.
I know that you are ecstatically married so you might miss the sexual under-currents. When women fall out there is often a man involved. Now The Man is The President. And we do know that he has a penchant for The Ladies.
It is more than obvious to me that The President is probably spending more time with Lakela than he is with Jesse. As a result, Jesse's anger towards The President is being deflected towards Lakela.
It is obvious. I wonder whether you are asleep half the time.
1476 Mike Trapido
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 1:35:25 PM ]
I think Duarte is honourable she's just had enough of all the behind the scenes politicking that is going on.
1475 Bernie Madoff
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 1:31:53 PM ]
Mike,
I have been trying to figure out waht has been going on behind the scenes. Is it possible that Zuma has been having sex with both Duarte and Lakela Kaunda (the head of the Private Office of the President)?
What we might be seeing is really just a fall-out amongst some of Zuma's mistresses.
I really think that Duarte is using politics as some sort of cover-up.
I have been trying to figure out waht has been going on behind the scenes. Is it possible that Zuma has been having sex with both Duarte and Lakela Kaunda (the head of the Private Office of the President)?
What we might be seeing is really just a fall-out amongst some of Zuma's mistresses.
I really think that Duarte is using politics as some sort of cover-up.
1473 Bernie Madoff
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 11:43:12 AM ]
Mike,
Duarte says:
"We applaud bad behaviour in the ANC, we applaud vilification and even minute the lies people tell in our meetings. I am sorry to advise you that I will no longer be doing that. I cannot fight back trapped in the role of a civil servant. The bid for leadership in 2014 (the next general election) is rendering our movement a casualty for wealth and power."
She should be arrested. These are White Colonialist Lies. (Not the same as white lies which are quite harmless.)
It is, moreover, defamation to state that The ANC "applauds vilification". The ANC is a lovely Party and always arranges lovely parties. I am sure that Jesse Duarte was invited to many of them. Were guests bad-mouthing her behind her back as the champagne was being passed around? Of course, they weren't!
Duarte says:
"We applaud bad behaviour in the ANC, we applaud vilification and even minute the lies people tell in our meetings. I am sorry to advise you that I will no longer be doing that. I cannot fight back trapped in the role of a civil servant. The bid for leadership in 2014 (the next general election) is rendering our movement a casualty for wealth and power."
She should be arrested. These are White Colonialist Lies. (Not the same as white lies which are quite harmless.)
It is, moreover, defamation to state that The ANC "applauds vilification". The ANC is a lovely Party and always arranges lovely parties. I am sure that Jesse Duarte was invited to many of them. Were guests bad-mouthing her behind her back as the champagne was being passed around? Of course, they weren't!
1472 Bernie Madoff
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 11:36:43 AM ]
Mike,
I am delighted to read tha Jesse Duarte has resigned. I am sure that freedom of expression in South Africa will not miss her for one moment.
I am delighted to read tha Jesse Duarte has resigned. I am sure that freedom of expression in South Africa will not miss her for one moment.
1471 Lyndall Beddy
[ Sunday, February 28, 2010 | 11:35:11 AM ]
They have been fighting about who gets the power for 16 years!
Remember what happens when 2 dogs fight over a bone?
Remember what happens when 2 dogs fight over a bone?
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