P 250713Z FEB 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7479
INFO AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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AMCONSUL DURBAN PRIORITY 
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UNCLAS PRETORIA 000358 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SF
SUBJECT: RELIGIOUS LEADER AND PEACE ACTIVIST SET TO LEAD 
OPPOSITION IN SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS 
 
REF: PRETORIA 356 
 
¶1. Summary: The 57 years old Reverend Doctor Hamilton 
Mvumelwano "Mvume" Dandala, a religious leader and peace 
activist, is the presidential candidate for the new Congress 
of the People (COPE) party. He was educated in South Africa 
and Cameroon as well as Cambridge University.  Dandala has 
good credentials as an anti-apartheid activist, with 
experience with the South African Student's Organization and 
he helped end inter-party violence on the eve of the 1994 
election.  He was General Secretary of the All African 
Conference of Churches (AACC), the immediate past Presiding 
Bishop of the Methodist Churches of Southern Africa, and was 
President of the South African Council of Churches.  He has 
been active in African conflict resolution and recently 
returned from Kenya where he continues to play a mediating 
role in political tensions there.  COPE's campaign strategy 
will emphasize and contrast the ongoing legal travails of 
Jacob Zuma -- the ruling party's presidential candidate -- 
who remains under a cloud of corruption charges -- with the 
:squeaky clean" image of Dandala.  COPE will make a sharp 
distinction between the two party's presidential standard 
bearers on the basis of values, ethics and leadership.  They 
are betting that Dandala will compare favorably with Zuma and 
other ANC's candidates.  End Summary. 
 
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An Honest, Trustworthy, and Highly-Skilled Leader 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶2. The Reverend Doctor Hamilton Mvumelwano "Mvume" Dandala is 
the unanimous presidential candidate for the newly-formed 
opposition Congress of the People (COPE) party for the April 
22 national and parliamentary poll.  Dr. Barney Pityana, 
chairman of COPE's Congress National Committee (CNC), 
announced Dandala's election by the party's structures 
throughout South Africa on February 20.  His nomination 
sparked controversy over the weekend as many pundits 
following COPE's election preparations believed the 
presidential contest was between the two men who have been 
the public faces of this breakaway opposition party since it 
emerged in December 2008 -- former African National Congress 
heavyweights Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota (former Defense 
Minister) and Mbhazima "Sam" Shilowa (former Premier of 
Gauteng Province).  Rumors were rife that Dandala's elevation 
angered Lekota and caused friction within COPE.  These rumors 
were firmly denied by Lekota on February 23, after the formal 
nomination of Dandala was publicly confirmed.  In a press 
conference on February 23, in response to questions, Lekota 
said:  "I am thrilled that Dandala has joined our team...He 
is not new to the game.  He was with us in the UDF (United 
Democratic Movement)...It is in these difficult times in our 
country that men of his calibre are needed." 
 
¶3. Importantly, however, Lekota was reaffirmed as COPE's 
Party President (but not its national presidential 
candidate); and Shilowa along with Lynda Odendaal were 
elected as COPE's two Party Deputy Presidents.  Charlotte 
Lobe, COPE General Secretary (and former ANC National 
Executive Council member) released a statement which said, 
"Dr. Dandala...is well known for his distinguished role in 
mediating an end to violence in the lead up to democracy in 
South Africa.  This selection is a crossroads for South 
QSouth Africa.  This selection is a crossroads for South 
Africa.  COPE stands for clean governance that efficiently 
delivers services to the people...South Africa needs an 
honest, trustworthy and highly-skilled leader, someone who 
can restore to our people hope and belief in our country.  We 
need a leader we can look up to and respect...We need a 
leader who represents the values that we in COPE espouse -- 
honesty, hard work and family values." 
 
¶4. Dandala, 57 years old, has spent his adult life as a 
religious leader and peace activist (see resume in para 7). 
Educated in South African and Cameroonian theological 
seminaries as well as Cambridge University in the U.K., 
Dandala's early political experience came as a local chairman 
of the anti-apartheid South African Student's Organization 
and was sustained in adulthood through leadership roles as 
the former General Secretary of the All African Conference of 
Churches (AACC), the immediate past Presiding Bishop of the 
Methodist Churches of Southern Africa, and as President of 
the South African Council of Churches.  In his acceptance 
speech, Dandala said his "duty" was to help restore the 
dreams of South Africans in the post-apartheid era for 
efficient government, freedom from hunger, and better lives 
for all.  "I joined COPE," he said, "because I spent my life 
working for peace, fighting for justice and seeking a society 
where integrity is the most important guiding 
philosophy...Voting for COPE gives South Africans a chance to 
vote for a new beginning -- for a government where integrity 
guides us; not self interest.  You will be voting for a 
robust fight against corruption.  You will vote for a society 
where we can all stand together to build the principled 
society South Africa deserves." 
 
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ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE TO DISTINGUISH COPE FROM ANC 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶5. COPE's campaign strategy will hit hard on the ongoing 
legal travails of ANC President Jacob Zuma -- the ruling 
party's presidential candidate -- who remains under a cloud 
of corruption charges since 2005.  News of the recent 
resignation of the ANC's spokesperson Carl Neihaus (reftel), 
who admitted using his public office for personal gain, 
broke while COPE was selecting is slate of candidates.  With 
elections scheduled for April 22, the ANC will likely win a 
majority of the votes, opening the door for a Zuma 
presidency.  COPE will highlight the numerous ANC leaders who 
have already been convicted of malfeasance, or are alleged to 
have engaged in corrupt practices, and of using their office 
for personal gain.  Cope will also make the philosophical and 
policy distinction with the view of the ANC the its "deployed 
cadres" in government are responsible to the party first; 
while COPE advocates for a non-partisan, mertitocratic civil 
service that committed to all the people.  The ANC prefers 
that provincial premiers and municipal executives be 
appointed by the ruling party; while COPE wants direct 
election of these high offices.  Zuma's next court date will 
be in August, raising the prospect of a sitting South African 
president being hauled before the court to answer serious 
criminal charges which have already landed his former 
financial advisor, Shabir Shaik, in jail.  These and other 
substantive distinctions compared to the ANC's views will 
inform COPE's election campaign strategy. 
 
¶6.  COPE will emphasize the sharp contrast between the two 
party's presidential standard bearers.  Dandala is seen by 
analysts as a man who's public image is "squeaky clean."  To 
spotlight this point, COPE's press release on 23 January, 
lauded the candidacy of Dandala and trumpeted this 
distinction: "In selecting Dr. Dandala as the candidate," the 
statement read, "the leadership of COPE is affirming its 
desire to bring men and women to the organisation and to lead 
by ensuring we strengthen the leadership collective..." 
Dandala also hit this theme hard in his acceptance speech: 
"There are those --," he intoned, "not only in my church -- 
who question my decision to enter the political arena.  Their 
view of public service is that people tend to join it for 
their own benefit and not that of the country.  It is indeed 
a sad commentary on South Africa today that many see the only 
reason to enter politics is to serve self.  My answer to 
them," he continued, "is that if we do not as a people rise 
up now to fight this threatening rot, we may live to regret 
it.  We need a government that people can look up to and 
believe in." 
 
------------------------------------- 
BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT ON DR. DANDALA 
------------------------------------- 
¶7. A biographical statement on Dr. Danadala is included here 
which details aspects of his professional life.  A resume 
found on the "Who's Who in South Africa" website is also 
included below. 
 
Biographical Statement.  Begin Text 
 
The Rev. Dr. Hamilton M. Dandala, known as Mvume, is former 
General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches 
(AACC) based in Nairobi, Kenya.  He is the immediate past 
Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa 
and President of the South African Council of Churches (an 
ecumenical fellowship of churches), positions he held 
simultaneously from 1997 to 2003.  Dandala is known and 
respected worldwide as a peacemaker, visionary church leader, 
and passionate advocate for African social justice, and for 
his direct involvement in the liberation struggle of the 
South African people through his ministry in South Africa. 
Dandala played a major role in facilitating peace initiatives 
between the ANC and IFP (Zula-based Inkatha Freedom Party) in 
the East Rand of Johannesburg during the 1990s.  His 
initiative culminated in the signing of the Peace Accord of 
1994 ending political violence in the East Rand townships. 
His opinion is regularly solicited by leaders at the highest 
levels of government and civil society. 
 
Dandala's involvement in the ecumenical movement began when 
he was a young man during his studies at the Federal 
Theological Seminary in Alice, South Africa where he was 
trained alongside other aspiring clergy from multiple 
denominations.  All students were challenged to see the 
common ground they shared in their diverse denominational 
traditions and to embrace the power of that common ground to 
press for social change.  Dandala took the aforementioned 
challenge of his seminary days to heart, becoming the local 
chairman of the South African Student's Organization (SASO), 
which played a critical role n the struggle against 
apartheid.  To this day the influence of his early ecumenical 
experiences in South Africa is evident in the General 
Secretary's leadership of the AACC.  In his AACC role, 
Dandala continues to emphasize an African Church world view 
that believes in the transformational power of the Church's 
prophetic witness and that shows deep commitment to social 
justice for the peoples of Africa.  He also stresses the 
importance of the Church's role in promoting self-sufficiency 
both for itself and for people across the African continent. 
 
Rev. Dr. Dandala holds a Diploma in Theology from John Wesley 
College of Federal Theological Seminar in South Africa and a 
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Theology degrees from 
the University of Cambridge.  He has also been awarded 
Honorary Doctorate Degrees by the University of Transkei 
(South Africa) and the Faculty of Protestant Theology in 
Cameroon. 
 
Rev. Dr. Dandala is married to Phumzile.  They have two 
children.  Their daughter Gqibelo is a banker and their son 
Hlomla is a filmmaker, actor and an active member of COPE 
Youth Movement.  Rev. Dr. Dandala has been nominated by COPE 
to be its Presidential Candidate in the forth-coming 
elections. 
 
End Text 
 
-- 
 
"Who's Who in South Africa" 
 
Begin Text 
 
Bishop Hamilton "Mvume" Dandala 
 
Synopsis:  Prior of the Order: St John SA 
Date of Birth:  26/10/1951 
Place of Birth:  Mount Ayliff, Eastern Cape 
Country of Residence:  South Africa 
Nationality: South African 
Father's Name:  Killion Dandala 
Mother's Name: Julia Boyce 
Spouse's Name:  Ntombizodwa Ntukwana 
Marriage Date:  15/12/1973 
Children:  1 son and 1 daughter 
School:  Ndamase High School, nr. Umtata, 1968 
Recreational Activities:  writing poetry 
 
Educational Degrees 
Master of Arts, Cambridge University, Theology 
Doctorate of Theology, Protestant University (Cameroon), 2005 
Doctorate of Philosophy, University of Transkei, 2003 
 
Career 
Chairmanships 
President, Council of Churches, Appointed in 1998, Concluded 
in 2003 
Chair, Johannesburg Housing Co., Appointed in 1996, Concluded 
in 2003 
 
Previous Positions 
Presiding Bishops, Methodist Church of Southern Africa, 
Johannesburg, Appointed in 1996, Concluded in 2003 
Superintendent Minister, Central Methodist Mission, Appointed 
in 1992, Concluded in 1996 
General Mission Secretary, Methodist Church of Southern 
Africa, Appointed in 1986, Concluded in 1991 
Superintendent Minister, Methodist Church, Port Elizabeth, 
Appointed in 1983, Concluded in 1985 
Minister, Methodist Church, Empangeni, Appointed in 1978, 
Concluded in 1982 
 
Career Related Activites 
Prior Order of St John SA, Appointed in 1999 
 
End Text 
 
 
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