ELECTIVE CONFERENCE
NATASHA MARRIAN: Call for ANC unity a self-serving farce
While Jacob Zuma spouts unity, his backers are manoeuvring behind the scenes to split Cyril Ramaphosa’s supporters
It is always sensible to view politicians with suspicion when they begin using lofty words such as "unity", especially when they are in the midst of the biggest fight of their political lives. President Jacob Zuma’s plea this week for unity in ANC structures rings hollow, particularly since he was first off the mark to endorse his chosen successor before structures had the opportunity to grapple with the question of the kind of leader they would prefer to take the party forward.
In fact, Zuma and some presidential hopefuls and provincial bosses appear to have scant regard for what the branches are actually saying. There is a disjuncture between the way branches are nominating leaders and the behind-the-scenes negotiations for deals among the upper echelons of the party. As official nominations flood in, it is also clear the various groups have been massively overestimating their support. For instance, the last caucus of the faction aligned to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma tallied its...
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