Thabo Mbeki is back – with the last laugh

Former president Thabo Mbeki has emerged from the shadows into which he was pushed by the 52nd national conference of the ANC to lead comfortably from the front – with Cyril Ramaphosa’s approval.

The new bond between the two is working well for Ramaphosa, who is fighting a never-ending battle against radical economic transformation advocates who want him out.

But Mbeki’s presence has boosted Ramaphosa’s standing in the party. Ramaphosa returned the favour.

In an unprecedented move, he sent Mbeki to address the Eastern Cape provincial conference.

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Mbeki related to the delegates in East London how significant ANC decisions taken at the party’s Mafikeng conference were turned upside down by Zuma and his followers, in their pursuit of “power now”.

Mbeki said the popular argument about avoiding two centres of power by merging the premier and provincial chair positions effectively undid a Mafikeng resolution.

At the same Eastern Cape conference at the weekend, Mbeki indicated quite clearly that he would participate in the ANC October local government election campaign.

Ramaphosa appeared to be happy to have the party stalwart on his side as he struggled to contain the same grouping that ousted Mbeki in Polokwane.

He has got a great partner in Mbeki – who bravely told the Polokwane conference the power ambitions of some members had bred corruption that threatened the ANC’s very survival.

Now, Mbeki is back – with the last laugh while his former Polokwane tormentors were placed in isolation by party disciplinary process and the courts.

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Ironically, they are facing corruption charges, the same issue that Mbeki warned them about in Polokwane.

Mbeki refused to participate in ANC activities and national executive committee (NEC) meetings until 2019.

As he put it, he objected to the ANC ventilating a wrong message to the voters that it has a “good story to tell” when in fact it did not.

He said he joined the party campaign trail in 2019 because the ANC had a different message where it undertook to humble itself before the people and apologised for making mistakes.

Mbeki at the weekend gave no doubt that he had confidence in Ramaphosa and Ramaphosa had confidence in him.

This is unlike Zuma, who marginalised Mbeki throughout his nine years in power.

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The bond between Mbeki and Ramaphosa began with an invitation for him to take part in the ANC 2019 national elections campaign.

Mbeki had been frequenting NEC gatherings where he made immense contributions and this was seen his acknowledgement of Ramaphosa’s anti-corruption crusade.

Himself an anticorruption crusader who fired his deputy, Zuma, over graft, Mbeki was unlikely to push for a compromise that would let Ace Magashule and others facing corruption by persuading the party to give them a second chance.

– ericn@citizen.co.za