RELIGIOUS LEADER AND PEACE ACTIVIST SET TO LEAD

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. -------------- -------------- 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." -------------- -------------- 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 LA LIME