ANC Today ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 5, No. 34, 26 August-1 September 2005 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK: * Letter from the President: The truth shall be heard! * Voter registration: South Africans gear up for local poll * Local government candidates: Choosing the best cadres to drive local development ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT The truth shall be heard! (Below we reproduce President Mbeki's letter submitted by ANC Secretary General Kgalema Motlanthe to the Alliance meeting this week, which convened to consider "the Jacob Zuma affair". The meeting agreed that the matters contained therein should form part of the issues for further discussion by the Alliance: The Editor) The Alliance leadership meets to discuss issues of common concern arising from the law enforcement and judicial issues relating to our Deputy President, Comrade Jacob Zuma. More immediately, the forthcoming Alliance meeting has been occasioned by the "Resolution on the matter of Jacob Zuma" adopted by the 3rd COSATU Central Committee. I would like to thank the Alliance Secretariat for taking the timely initiative to convene the meeting. This is also consistent with the COSATU CC Resolution in terms of which COSATU decided "to engage the Alliance in the context of the (ANC) NGC on this matter, in order to find a political solution and avoid divisions that could result from this saga." The COSATU CC Resolution is couched in political terms. Among other things it says that, "The National Prosecuting Authority undertook a systematic political campaign to leak information to the media on a regular basis as part of the struggle to discredit Comrade Zuma". This observation is consistent with charges that have been made in the past that the impending trial of Comrade Zuma is nothing more than a political trial that has absolutely nothing to do with popular adherence to the rule of law, for which many of our cadres, comrades and people sacrificed their lives. For example, in its 6 June 2005 statement on the Schabir Shaik judgement, COSATU said that the trial "confirm(s) a long held view by COSATU that the trial of Schabir Shaik was nothing but a political trial of the Deputy President in absentia". When Comrade Zuma was relieved of his duties as the Deputy President of the Republic, the SACP said "a credible judicial process" giving Comrade Zuma the opportunity to clear himself, would "remove any suggestion of hidden political agendas behind this whole episode". After the search and seizure operations carried out by the Scorpions last Thursday, 18 August, the SACP said "such actions (like the raid into the offices of Cde Zuma's lawyers), unfortunately feed into an already widespread perception that Cde Zuma won't get a fair trial, and that his is a political trial". Commenting on these same operations carried out by the Scorpions, a youth meeting which included the ANC Youth League, said on 21 August, "The irony wherein a person is first charged then investigated seems to corroborate the idea that there is an agenda to find the ANC Deputy President guilty against all odds, where the ends justify the means." All the leaders, members and structures of the ANC, the Alliance and the rest of the democratic movement, without exception, have insisted that our Deputy President should be presumed innocent until proved guilty. Accordingly, together with Comrade Zuma, we have insisted that if the criminal justice system believes that he has a case to answer, he should be duly charged and given the opportunity to defend himself in an open court. Even when I addressed Parliament on 14 June 2005, to announce that, as President of the Republic, I was relieving Comrade Zuma of his responsibilities as Deputy President of the Republic, I said: "I would like to emphasise two basic pillars of our jurisprudence, namely, equality before the law and the right to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. We are of the firm view that this principle applies to the Deputy President not merely as a matter of principle and common decency, but also in deference to the individual occupying such office and the service that he has rendered to the Republic and its people before and after the attainment of our liberation. Unambiguous as the (Schabir Shaik) judgement may be about an assumed unsavoury relationship, the Deputy President has yet to have his day in court." However, it is perfectly obvious that a conclusion has been drawn by some within the ranks of the ANC, the Alliance and beyond, that Comrade Zuma is victim to a political trial and/or deliberate hostile political persecution. This has led those who have arrived at this conclusion to adopt political positions and engage in political actions ostensibly intended to protect the Deputy President from hostile political actions. I am firmly of the view that no member of the ANC, the Alliance and the rest of the democratic movement should be subjected to what the SACP called "hidden political agendas", whatever the content of these agendas. All cadres of the various organisations of the broad democratic movement have every right to be treated in an open manner, within organised structures, consistent with the Constitutions, regulations and conventions of these organisations. Each and every one of our members has a right to call for the protection of our movement as a whole, if they believe that they are being subjected to unfair treatment, meted out to them outside the established democratic processes of the organisations of the democratic movement. This also means that all cadres, regardless of their rank, have a duty to respect these Constitutions, regulations and conventions, relying on them to address whatever organisational or personal grievances they may have, relevant to the functioning of our organisations. For this reason, I am convinced that we have a collective and urgent task to expose and confront any and all factions that may exist within the ANC and the rest of the democratic movement, which might be engaged in a conspiracy "to discredit Comrade Zuma", to use the words of the COSATU 3rd Central Committee Resolution. Should such a conspiracy exist, we must unite the entirety of our movement in a determined offensive to defeat it. Specifically, our movement must act urgently and in unity to protect the ANC Deputy President, and therefore our movement as a whole, from any hostile factional offensive, if it is established that such an offensive exists. The 3rd COSATU CC suggested that there may be such an offensive, led by a group of "neo-liberals (who) may use the state apparatus to turn the revolution in(to) an offensive against the true cadres of the revolution". I am informed that some within our broad movement, who believe that Deputy President Zuma is a victim of a counter-revolutionary, capitalist and neo- liberal offensive, are convinced that as President of the ANC and the Republic, I occupy the leading position in the political onslaught against Deputy President Zuma. I understand that these are spreading the story that, presumably for counter- revolutionary reasons, I am opposed to Comrade Zuma becoming President of the ANC and the Republic. This has led some of our own members to make public demands that are unprecedented in the 90-year history of the ANC, that seek to determine who our leaders should be, with absolutely no regard for the democratic processes and traditions of our movement. I understand that this is being done because some have communicated the notion that what we are involved in is a factional right wing/left wing struggle, represented respectively by the President and the Deputy President of the ANC. This understanding, whatever its merits or demerits, has already caused great harm to the ANC, the Alliance, the broad democratic movement, the democratic revolution and the country. Accordingly, the Alliance leadership must confront it head-on, with no equivocation of any kind. In this regard, I strongly suggest that the Alliance should immediately constitute a Commission of Inquiry to establish the truth or otherwise of the allegation that members of the ANC and the broad democratic movement, including the President of the ANC, have been and are involved in a conspiracy targeted at marginalising or destroying Deputy President Zuma. The Commission would give an opportunity to all members of the ANC, the Alliance and the broad democratic movement to present whatever information they may have concerning the alleged political conspiracy against Deputy President Zuma. To ensure that everybody concerned is free to speak openly, without fear or favour, I would suggest that the Commission should conduct its work in camera. It should also have the possibility, with regard to its Report, to withhold the identities of any persons who appear before it, if it is of the opinion that this would help to establish the truth, and nothing but the truth, about the existence of an anti-Jacob Zuma political conspiracy within our broad movement. I would like to assure you that I would be ready to appear before the Commission, if so requested, truthfully and to the best of my ability, to answer any questions relevant to the scope of its Inquiry. Similarly, I hope and trust that all our organisations would insist and encourage all their members who might have the relevant information to approach the Commission, desisting from all factional communication of any "relevant information" to any persons and groups of persons, outside the ambit of the Commission. The Commission of Inquiry I suggest would give everybody concerned the possibility to communicate with the constitutional structures of the Alliance organisations formally and in disciplined manner, as should be the practice binding on all cadres of these organisations. The establishment of the Commission would enable the Alliance and the broad movement to deal with the rumour-mongering that has attended the controversies that have surrounded Deputy President Zuma for some years already. It would also give the Alliance and the broad democratic movement the possibility directly and in a united fashion, to combat all factional activities whatever their political complexion, which might have arisen as a result of the law enforcement and judicial processes relating to Deputy President Zuma. I make the suggestion to constitute an Alliance Commission of Inquiry fully conscious of our obligation not to do anything that would compromise the work and independence of our law enforcement, prosecution, and judicial authorities. The Commission would have to ensure that it works in a manner that does not undermine this principle and practice. The reality is that whatever the law enforcement, prosecution, and judicial authorities might have done, what has been suggested is that this has originated from within the ranks of our movement, for instance the "neo-liberals (who) may use the state apparatus to turn the revolution in(to) an offensive against the true cadres of the revolution", to whom the 3rd COSATU CC referred. This should make it clear that the Commission of Inquiry should focus on whatever it is that it is alleged members and structures of our movement have done and are doing within and in the context of these structures. We face the imperative vigorously to fight and defeat any and all factional activity that might have developed around the controversies that have surrounded our Deputy President, including any such factional activity as may be or may have been directed against the Deputy President. To conduct this critically important struggle successfully, what we need above everything else is the truth, loyalty to our fundamental principles and practices, and the unity of our movement. The Commission of Inquiry would help us to achieve these goals. Thabo Mbeki MORE INFORMATION: Statement of the Alliance 10-a-side, 24 August 2005 http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/pr/2005/pr0824.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VOTER REGISTRATION South Africans gear up for local poll South Africans are expected to head to voting stations on 3 September to register or check their registration details for the forthcoming local government elections, a crucial opportunity for people to determine the future of the communities in which they live. ANC leaders, members and public representatives have been deployed across the country to mobilise first-time voters to register and to urge people already registered to confirm that they are registered in the correct voting district. To vote in the local government elections, people need to be registered in the voting district where they live. People who have not previously registered, need to register. People who voted in the 1999, 2000 or 2004 elections should already be on the voters' roll and there should be a sticker in their ID book with the voting district number on it. They do not need to register, but they should check they are registered in the correct voting district (VD), because the ward or VD boundaries in their area may have changed. This also applies to people who have moved since the last election. While any South African over the age of 16 may apply for registration, only people who are 18 years or older on the day of the election may vote. The forthcoming local government elections are critical to the development of the country, and particularly the achievement of the objectives of a better life for all. In April 2004, the people of South Africa gave their national and provincial public representatives a mandate to build a people's contract to create work and fight poverty. Working together much has been achieved. But much more still needs to be done, especially at local level, in the communities where people live. Working together with the people, all spheres of government are working together to push back the frontiers of poverty by building houses, schools and clinics throughout the country. We have built roads and bridges, installed water and toilets and given access to electricity and telephones to millions of households. But many South Africans still struggle because of poverty and unemployment. Many towns and communities still lack infrastructure and reliable and affordable basic services. Local government must play a central role in meeting these needs and impacting positively on the lives of the people. These elections will mark the fifth anniversary of South Africa's new non-racial system of local government, and will offer an opportunity to reflect on the progress made, and the challenges which face this evolving sphere of government. These elections are an opportunity for voters to strengthen local government by deepening the levels of popular participation in determining the needs of communities and the priorities of local councils. Yet even before the election can be held, there is the major challenge of ensuring that all eligible South Africans are registered to vote. While the number of registered voters grew significantly before the 2004 elections, there are still many South Africans of voting age who are not registered to vote. There are also many people who have moved house since the last election, and who are therefore on the voters' roll in the wrong voting district. The number of voting districts has been increased by around 2,000 since last year's elections and a number of ward boundaries have changed. This means that voters in affected areas should check whether they're registered in the correct VD. In contrast to the national and provincial elections, voters will not be allowed to vote outside their own voting district. It is therefore important for people to know where the voting station is for their VD, and that they confirm that they are registered there. To encourage registration, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is organising a public registration day on 3 September 2005 when all voting stations will be open from 7am to 5pm. In addition, people can register during normal office hours at their local municipal offices. In some areas, where voting districts have changed and in areas of very low registration, the IEC will be conducting targeted registration. To register to vote a person needs a bar-coded ID book. They will be asked to fill in a form with their name and address. Their ID book will be scanned by a 'zip-zip' machine, and their name will automatically be entered into the voters' roll for the voting district. To register to vote, a person first needs to have a bar-coded ID book. These are also necessary if they want to apply for government services, like social grants, housing subsidies or to register as a student. Applications for ID books can be made at any regional or district office of the Department of Home Affairs. All South African citizens of 16 years and older, and all permanent residents, can be issued with an ID book. To apply, they need to take their birth certificate and two ID-size photographs. If they don't have a birth certificate then they need to prove they were born in South Africa. A parent, senior relative or someone else who has known them since birth should complete an affidavit providing the details of their birth. Other documents they should take are a valid baptismal certificate, first school letter, clinic card or a house permit. A person can check if they are correctly registered by: * Sending their ID number in an SMS to 32810. * Calling the IEC call centre between 08h00 and 17h00 on 0800 11 8000. * Checking on the IEC website: www.elections.org.za * Going to the voting station in the VD on 3 September. MORE INFORMATION: Independent Electoral Commission http://www.elections.org.za/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES Choosing the best cadres to drive local development In what is arguably one of the largest exercises of internal democracy in any organisation in South Africa, ANC branches have begun the process of selecting almost 8,000 candidates for the forthcoming local government elections. The local government list process, which began at over 2,000 ANC branches in the last two weeks, will select candidates for both wards and ANC proportional representation (PR) lists. Branches have until 18 September to complete the nomination process. The list process follows the completion of a comprehensive councillor assessment process in which ANC structures conducted an audit of the performance of each of the current councillors. The audit involved assessment by the ANC council caucus and ANC regional structures and a self-assessment by the councillor themselves. The results of these audits will inform the list process, and will also contribute to the ANC's efforts to improve the quality and performance of its public representatives at local level. The list process, which is overseen by a National List Committee, needs to satisfy a number of conditions. It must combine democratic procedures, transparency and strategic political intervention to ensure that it satisfies the criteria of the movement. The process must be structured to allow enough space for discussion, lobbying, objections and appeals, and must be legitimate and enjoy acceptance by a broad section of ANC cadres and supporters. In selecting its public representatives, ANC branches are informed by the principles articulated in the discussion document, 'Through the Eye of the Needle'. It says that ANC public representatives should, among other things, understand ANC policy and be able to apply it under all conditions, which should include an understanding of the country and the world we live in; of the balance of forces; and of how to continually change the balance of forces in favour of the motive forces for change. Our public representatives should also constantly seek to improve their capacity to serve the people, win the confidence of the people in their day-to-day work, be accessible and flexible, and lead by example. ANC public representatives, more so than those of any other party, should be above reproach in their political and social conduct - as defined by our revolutionary morality - be honest, have integrity, not be corruptible and actively fight against corruption. As part of the ANC caucuses at all levels, they should seek to influence and to be influenced by others in the collective and should be individuals that have the conviction to state their views boldly and openly within structures of the movement. Our public representatives must be able to relate to the main areas of ANC work, which include governance and mass work. This includes consistent constituency work and participating in the structures of the ANC at the appropriate level. Candidates need to satisfy certain criteria, consistent with the non-sexist, non-racial and democratic character of the movement. Candidates must therefore be ANC members in good standing with a proven track record of commitment to and involvement in the democratic movement. They should have the necessary experience or expertise that will enable them to make a constructive contribution in the relevant municipality. Candidates should have no criminal record (excluding struggle-related crimes committed before April 1994). They must have no history of ill-discipline or corruption. They may not have been involved in fostering divisions and conflict in the democratic movement or have breached the ANC code of conduct and those of other organisations of the democratic movement. In broad terms, the ANC's list of candidates must be geographically representative, have a fair representation of all national groups, a fair spread across all age cohorts, and a fair number of people with disabilities or who are differently-abled. In an historic development, there will be equal numbers of men and women spread throughout the ANC's lists of candidates. To ensure continuity and retain experience, the lists should have a reasonable balance of sitting councillors and new candidates. There also needs to be an adequate number and spread of skilled and experienced cadres to deal with governance challenges. The lists should reflect the broad character of the progressive movement by including ANC members serving in the SA Communist Party (SACP), Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), SA National Civics Organisation (SANCO) and other structures. The list process is an ANC process and all candidates stand as ANC members. There will be no reserved seats for any organisation within or outside the alliance on the lists. Provision is made for the participation of Alliance partners in the list process. All ANC members serving in Alliance structures need to participate in the branch nomination process. The Alliance partners will be allocated voting representation at the Provincial and National List Conferences. Branch nominations will be followed, in the last two weeks of September, by regional list conferences in each of the organisation's 52 regions. Branch delegates will constitute 80% of regional list conference delegates, with delegate spaces allocated in proportion to branch membership. It is at this stage that the key decisions will be made on candidates. The Provincial List Committee, which is an extended meeting of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee, then has the responsibility to ensure that all key elements of the list criteria are fulfilled and that all other strategic political matters have been taken into consideration. These meetings are scheduled to take place in mid-October. It is expected that the list process will be completed by the end of October with the finalisation of the ANC's local government candidates by the National List Conference and National Executive Committee. MORE INFORMATION: ANC List Guidelines 2005/6 http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/misc/2005/list-processguide.html 'Through the Eye of the Needle', June 2001 http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/pubs/umrabulo/umrabulo11d.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of ANC Today is available from the ANC web site at: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/2005/at34.htm To receive ANC Today free of charge by e-mail each week go to: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/subscribe.html To unsubscribe yourself from the ANC Today mailing list go to: http://lists.anc.org.za/mailman/listinfo/anctoday