SA lawmaker defends party policies, blames poor management for problems

The majority of problems of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party lie with poor management rather than corruption, lawmaker Joanmariae Fubbs said.

Fubbs told Sputnik that the ANC had good policies in spite of problems with their implementation.

On Tuesday, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma narrowly survived the eighth vote of no-confidence with 177 parliamentarians backing the motion, 198 lawmakers voting against and nine abstaining from the vote.

After the vote, Mmusi Maimane, the leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party, criticized Zuma as the embodiment of “what the ANC has become, a toxic mix of corruption, cronyism and nepotism,” and that he was a norm within the party rather than an exception.

The ANC lawmaker admitted to a certain degree of corruption, but stressed that these were eclipsed by mismanagement issues.

“I think a lot of it is basic management … Mismanagement is of the most important factors why we do not implement our polices, which in fact are good policies,” Fubbs said.

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The lawmaker stressed that the ANC was working to tackle the issue of existing corruption and warned that changes in the country should be done gradually.

The parliamentarian also characterised well-trained personnel as a key to changing situation in politics.

“We do need to focus on policy and cadres. It is important to have political cadres who are competent,” Fubbs explained.

South Africa’s opposition has repeatedly criticised Zuma’s policies as well as his alleged involvement in corruption schemes.

In November 2016, DA sent a request to initiate criminal proceedings against Zuma on suspicion of corruption.

Later that month, the parliament failed to pass a vote of no-confidence regarding Zuma, the results of which were 214 votes against and 126 in favour.

Protests have been taking place regularly across South Africa urging the resignation of Zuma after the latter reshuffled the government, leading to the dismissal of several popular ministers.

NAN reports that the ANC will pick a new leader at a conference in December and Zuma favours his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the former chairwoman of the African Union.

Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa, a unionist-turned-business tycoon, is viewed as her most likely rival after ANC alliance partners trade union federation Cosatu and the South African Communist Party (SACP) endorsed him for the top post.

Neither Dlamini-Zuma, 67, or Ramaphosa, 64, have declared their intention to run.

Whoever wins the contest will lead the ANC, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid, into a national election in 2019.