GRASSROOTS ANC WANT CONSENSUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 003948 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM SF SUBJECT: GRASSROOTS ANC WANT CONSENSUS PRETORIA 00003948 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4( b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ANC policy coordinator Michael Sachs told EmbOffs on 12 November that grassroots ANC members are "sick at heart" over the current bitter succession race and would accept a compromise ballot. However, he admitted that the battle looks more and more like it will come down to ANC President Mbeki and ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Sachs believes that if Zuma is recharged with corruption, there will be allegations of a political conspiracy (regardless of the timing),which could generate enough support among delegates to propel Zuma to the party presidency. Once installed in Luthuli House as President, Zuma, who has a lot of grassroots support but little support from the top, would pull out all the stops to unify the party in an attempt to secure the national presidency in 2009. Sachs believes that Mbeki is unlikely to accept defeat graciously, and will highlight Zuma's shortcomings to present himself as the only possible savior of the party. END SUMMARY. -------------- PEOPLE WANT CONSENSUS -------------- ¶2. (C) ANC policy advisor Michael Sachs told DepEconCouns and PolOff on 12 November that grassroots ANC members are "sick at heart," over the current ANC succession battle. He believes that voting delegates would "largely accept" a consensus ballot were it presented to them at the opening of the ANC's national conference in Polokwane 16-20 December. He believes, however, that the race is looking more and more like it will come down to two men: ANC President Mbeki and his deputy, ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma. ¶3. (C) Sachs was uncharacteristically frank about Mbeki's "downfall" as a leader (perhaps because he was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the new critical Mbeki biography, A Dream Deferred),complaining that Mbeki is acting as if "he wants to rule from the grave." Sachs believes that Mbeki will be poorly judged not only for his decision to run for a third term as party president, but also for his efforts to thwart anyone who has tried to get in his way. More to the point, Sachs laid blame for the current succession battle squarely on the shoulders of Mbeki, "who should have groomed Cyril (Ramaphosa) years ago." According �0A;to Sachs, Mbeki believes he is the only person capable of running the ANC, and that Zuma especially is capable of undoing everything he has worked toward. ¶4. (C) Without irony or regret, Sachs noted that Mandela "set Mbeki up" to govern like he does. Sachs insisted that many were uncomfortable with Mandela's "hegemonic leadership style," but that no one was ever willing to call him on it. Sachs also said that Mbeki's leadership style is not antithetical to the ANC; one man calling the shots is how it has often been. (COMMENT: The outside world's vision of the ANC governing as a democratic institution where everyone in leadership always agrees and gets along is somewhat idealized. Sachs was not necessarily complaining about how leadership in general worked within upper party structures, but more about Mbeki's unwillingness to let go of the reins. END COMMENT.) -------------- ZUMA'S LEGAL BATTLES COULD WIN HIM SUPPORT -------------- ¶5. (C) Sachs also said that it is entirely possible that Zuma could be elected ANC President in December and found QZuma could be elected ANC President in December and found guilty of corruption before South Africa's 2009 national election. Sachs also asserted that Zuma's anticipated prosecution will be viewed both inside and outside the country as a political conspiracy. The NPA charging Zuma before December would be "incredibly stupid," he argued, and could guarantee Zuma the top spot. He predicted that sympathy for Zuma could translate into skyrocketing support, as was the case for Winnie Mandela during her legal battles in the 1990s. (NOTE: According to a Sunday Times article on 11 November, the Scorpions will recommend recharging Zuma with corruption, tax evasion, and money-laundering to the acting National Director of Public Prosecutions. END NOTE) -------------- PRETORIA 00003948 002.2 OF 002 MBEKI BIGGER DANGER THAN ZUMA -------------- ¶6. (C) Sachs strongly believes that Mbeki poses a greater danger to ANC party unity than Zuma. Sachs suspects it will be difficult for Mbeki to accept a defeat by Zuma. In this event, Mbeki would try to "ruin Zuma," and then conveniently point out that he is the only person who can be trusted to lead the ANC. On the other hand, he argued, if Zuma wins the ANC presidency, he will be inclusive. Sachs explained that "for all Zuma's faults, he is a unifier," but also argued that Zuma has no choice if he wants to build enough support to succeed Mbeki as national president in 2009. Zuma has a lot of grassroots and anti-Mbeki support, but not a lot of support from the ANC leadership, he said. ¶7. (C) Business Day editor Karima Brown echoed Sachs comments about Mbeki's ruthlessness, telling PolOff on 31 October that if Mbeki wins, "he will be swift and fearless about axing anyone who has been disloyal." The aftermath, she said, along with the approval of policy initiatives intended to take political power away from the state presidency, will also prevent Mbeki from being a lame duck and allow him to anoint national Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as his successor. She also said that most of ANC leadership believes "Zuma is a disaster," but that they cannot seem to convince his grassroots' supporters otherwise. -------------- ELECTION MECHANICS STILL UP IN AIR -------------- ¶8. (C) Sachs also mentioned that he had just drafted a notional agenda for the ANC's national conference 16-20 December in Polokwane, but that a finalized agenda was almost impossible given "the million voting permutations." He said candidates are not barred from seeking a lower position should they fail to secure a higher one. As a result, delegates are likely to end up voting for each of the top six positions separately, awaiting individual election results for every position before the next vote is taken. (NOTE: This also means that delegates could have up to six opportunities to nominate from the floor. END NOTE) Sachs also said that delegates will vote "by acclamation" on ANC policies, but described the process as pro-forma. -------------- BIO NOTE -------------- ¶9. (C) Sachs is most often described as an ANC policy advisor or coordinator. He admitted that he does not know where he will work in January, saying "new leadership may not want me to work for them and I may not want to work for the new leader." He admitted in June 2007 that he authored the ANC's Economic Transformation policy document, during which time he was working as a "Special Advisor" to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. He is also rumored to have authored the ANC's policy paper "Strategy and Tactics." On 12 November, he told EmbOffs that he was working for Luthuli House, obviously preparing for the ANC's national conference in December. He also casually mentioned that he had worked in India for the Women's Development Bank under Zanele Mbeki in the late 1990s. Sachs is the natural son of former South African Communist Leader Joe Slovo, but was raised in exile by celebrated ANC veteran and current Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs, whom he refers to as his father. BOST