The deal that is proposed by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela suggests that the current President and African National Council leader should continue to head the party until elections take place. At the same time, his deputy, South African ex-Deputy President Jacob Zuma should become candidate for president in 2009.
Both of them have fought bitterly to see who would be leader of the ANC.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in a letter to Kgalema Motlanthe, the current ANC secretary general, she believed that historic discipline and focus of the movement is almost at a total breakdown.
“There has been an unprecedented level of self-indulgence in out-of-turn public utterances, attack and counter-attack and the apparent normalization of un-comradely behavior and rhetoric at levels and intensity not before seen in the long history of our movement,” Winnie Mandela had said.
While Mr. Mbeki cannot lead the country again after serving two terms already, he can still decide who succeeds him as national leader if he remains leader of the ANC.
Mr. Zuma will become the favorite to become president if he wins ANC leadership in 2009. So far, five provinces support Mr. Zuma. He has also gained support from the ANC Women’s League and Youth League.