VZCZCXRO3090
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSA #2197/01 3020726
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 290726Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0034
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 7279
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 1357
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9639
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002197 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM AU GV
SUBJECT: ANC OFFICIAL RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT STATE OF THE 
PARTY 
 
REF: PRETORIA 01932 
 
PRETORIA 00002197  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU)  Dumisani Ntuli, the spokesperson for the African 
National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng Province, told Poloffs on 
September 30 that the party remains torn between supporters 
of President Jacob Zuma and former President Thabo Mbeki. 
Ntuli, who clearly falls into the latter camp, projected that 
infighting would keep the ANC from achieving its campaign 
promises and put the party's focus on the 2012 party congress 
rather than on the 2011 local elections.  He projected that 
any failure to improve service delivery ahead of the local 
elections would hurt the party and the Zuma administration. 
End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
ANC Spokesperson Offers Candid Assessment of Party 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Dumisani Ntuli, whose remarks made it clear that he 
most likely supported Mbeki over Zuma for the party's top 
position, met with Poloffs for lunch on September 30 to 
discuss the situation within the ANC.  Ntuli admitted the ANC 
is a "complete mess" and remains as divided now as it was in 
the aftermath of the party's 2007 congress when Zuma beat 
Mbeki for the party presidency.  He views the rift between 
those who support Zuma and those who remain loyal to Mbeki as 
the biggest challenge facing the organization and sees party 
members who favored Mbeki waiting to speak up again and to 
assume leadership positions in the months ahead.  Ntuli said, 
"The pro-Mbeki people are silent, waiting for their chance to 
speak out." 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Beyond the rift between Zuma and Mbeki supporters, 
he noted that the organization remains disunited along 
multiple other lines.  He said, "There are the diehard Zuma 
supporters, the pro-labor people, the communists, the 
pro-Mbeki people, and no one speaks for the same things." 
Party leaders are seeking ways to restructure and unify the 
party so younger members understand the history and the 
values of the ANC.  However, according to Ntuli, these 
efforts are not going well and will only lead to failure.  He 
said, "The younger cadres have no interest in the history of 
the ANC.  They want access to jobs and personal enrichment." 
Worse than the lack of interest in history, he claimed, is 
that they will not listen to, or respect, senior officials. 
Ntuli lamented that party members are mostly focused on 
jockeying for positions to be decided upon at the 2012 
national congress.  He said, "The party isn't even focused on 
the 2011 local elections." 
 
¶4. (SBU)  He fears that the party's lack of focus might 
contribute to poor service delivery, which in turn will hurt 
the party in the local elections.  He said, "Look what the 
Mbeki government did over the past 10 years.  Mbeki's ANC 
delivered on the Mafikeng and Stellenbosch resolutions (party 
resolutions).  The Zuma government will not come close to 
delivering."  Failure to deliver will only strength the ANC's 
political opponents, according to Ntuli.  He projected the 
ANC is worried that it might lose to the Democratic Alliance 
in Tshwane metro (Pretoria).  He added, "We have big internal 
(party) problems in Tshwane."  According to him, the problems 
stem from infighting over government positions.  The ANC 
Youth League branches in Tshwane want to assume greater 
QYouth League branches in Tshwane want to assume greater 
control over the city council and force out any official 
associated with Mbeki.  (Note:  See Reftel for more 
information.  End Note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Ntuli projected that the Congress of South African 
Trade Unions (COSATU) may not succeed in getting labor 
brokers abolished.  COSATU in recent weeks has called for 
amendments to the Labor Relations Act, which would outlaw 
outsourcing and subcontracting of employees (processes that 
are currently run by the brokers).  According to Ntuli, the 
ANC will not give in to COSATU's demands because most of the 
labor brokers are owned by senior ANC officials such as Tokyo 
Sexwale and Cyril Ramaphosa.  He argued that the labor 
brokers perform a useful service within the economy and must 
be permitted to operate. 
 
 
PRETORIA 00002197  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
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Comment 
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¶6. (SBU)  Ntuli's comments on the ANC underscore how internal 
problems continue to distract the ruling party.  Despite 
realignment of leadership positions in some provinces around 
the country, the ANC since the April national election has 
projected an image of unity and satisfaction with the Zuma 
team.  Ntuli's remarks raises questions about whether such 
projections are false.  Moreover, his statements show that 
even though Mbeki supporters are quiet, they have not 
disappeared from the ranks. 
GIPS