Word: anc
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...essentially boils down to a bruising popularity contest between the two leaders. Mbeki fired Zuma, his then deputy, in 2005 amid a corruption scandal over shady arms procurement deals. But the President's political star has waned since last December, when a party leadership conference removed him as ANC leader and replaced him with Zuma...
...This weekend, ANC heavyweights hastened to calm fears of instability in the wake of Mbeki's resignation. Members of cabinet had last week threatened to resign if Mbeki went, but after meeting with the ANC executive leadership over the weekend, most indicated that they would stay on, including highly respected Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. "Everything goes on as normal," his spokeswoman Thoraya Pandy told reporters...
...support base - a coalition of leftists, populists, trade unionists and radicals - that drove the campaign to oust Mbeki, apparently against Zuma's wishes. That raises questions of just how firmly he calls the shots within his own party. "It suggests that the people who are in control of the ANC now are not what I would describe as a particularly reliable bunch of people," says Feinstein. "It seems Zuma is not going to be able to control them...
...same time, analysts said that Mbeki's departure increases the likelihood of a split within the ANC, as staunch Mbeki allies consider forming their own breakaway political party. Despite his apparent unpopularity, Mbeki had 40% of the party behind him last December...
...deal has been hanging by a thread. If it holds, the Zimbabwe deal could be Mbeki's most enduring legacy, despite the criticism he has drawn for a policy of "silent diplomacy" that was seen by many to appease Mugabe. But it could also be his final defeat. The ANC says it wants Mbeki to continue his work mediating the conflict. With his authority now undermined, that will be no mean feat. Mugabe may well see Mbeki's weakness as an opportunity to squirm out of a deal he never wanted in the first place...