From the paper I write for...
Terror: We want you to voteSouth Africans living abroad must have the right to vote, according to Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota. Rob Boffard reports.Speaking to The South African before his speech to the SA Business Club in London, the leader of the Congress of the People (COPE) railed against the ruling African National Congress (ANC) who are currently engaged in a court battle to deny South Africans abroad the right to vote. “Alongside other opposition parties, we have been insisting that a right granted by the constitution cannot be taken away from people purely on the basis that they are working abroad,” he said.
“They should be allowed to vote, like any other citizen. It’s the responsibility of the state to provide facilities and make them available, to make it possible for them to vote.” Lekota insisted that COPE were “part of the effort at home to get people abroad to vote. We want them to vote.”
The Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus are among the parties that won a victory at the High Court for South Africans abroad to vote. The ANC subsequently appealed to the Constitutional Court, which is expected to rule on the matter this week.
Lekota also criticised ANC members’ comments about his party’s nomination for the presidency, Reverend Mvume Dandala. Last week, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema said it was “revealing” that COPE had chosen Dandala over Lekota and deputy leader Mbhazima Shilowa, both former ANC politicians.
Lekota defended Dandala’s credentials as the leader of a party campaigning heavily on an anti-corruption stance: “He is an individual who has distinguished himself as part of the struggle, distinguished himself as a servant of the people at home and on the continent, and who continues to harbour the energy to make further contributions. What is the objection to him?”
Lekota went on to criticise ANC leader Jacob Zuma, currently facing a court battle not to stand trial on charges of corruption. “Why has the African National Congress offered to the country a leader who is faced with charges of fraud, racketeering, money laundering and all of that? Whilst it says to the population, with or without corruption, we are going to give you Zuma.”
COPE has come under fire in the past week for the nomination of Allan Boesak as their candidate for the Western Cape in the upcoming elections. Boesak was convicted of fraud relating to misuse of party funds in 1999. He subsequently received a pardon from former President Thabo Mbeki in 2005.
Challenged by a member of the audience after his speech to the SA Business Club, Lekota claimed that Boesak was fit to lead, saying that the Presidential pardon had “expunged” his record. Earlier, Lekota said: “I do not know what evidence was tabled before the president. But all of us know that presidential pardons have the effect of expunging a conviction, and it is to say that the person is as good as having never been convicted. He is quite entitled [to lead], he is quite appropriate because there is now not against his name any conviction and in terms of our law he is therefore able to do that.”
Lekota himself has come under fire in the past week for his views on HIV-Aids. A report by News24 said that he had refused to denounce the ANC government’s history of dealing with HIV-Aids. However, he strenuously denied to The South African that he stood by the beliefs of former President Mbeki, who came under international criticism for his ineffectual dealings with the Aids crisis.
“At no stage ever have I said that I don’t believe that HIV doesn’t cause Aids,” said Lekota. “I’ve never said that. It’s a very serious misinterpretation. It’s a fallacy, in fact, to say that.” Lekota would subsequently tell the BBC that he accepted that the virus causes Aids and that he “did not necessarily support” Mbeki’s position.
As the campaigning for the election gets into swing, both COPE and the ANC have been victim of defections on all levels of membership. The ANC claimed over the weekend that nearly 300 COPE members in the North West Province had left to join the ruling party. The ANC itself was hit with a serious loss when former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka joined the new party. COPE spokesman Sipho Ngwema confirmed that she had joined on Sunday.
