South Africa's ruling party, the African NationalCongress (ANC) says it's confident it will win more than 70 percent of the votewhen the country holds elections in six weeks. Party secretary-general GwedeMantashe has guaranteed that the ANC will not tamper with South Africa'sconstitution if it sweeps the polls and gains a large majority in parliament.Opposition parties have expressed this fear, saying the ANC is set to changethe law to protect its presidential candidate, Jacob Zuma, from prosecution foralleged corruption.
Mantashe'sviews carry weight as he's third in the pecking order of the ANC behind partypresident and prospective SA leader, Jacob Zuma, and ANC deputy president andcurrentpresident, Kgalema Motlanthe.
Speakingfrom his office at the ANC's Johannesburg headquarters, Luthuli House, Mantashetold VOA that the ANC was Zuma's "natural home" and that he deserved to bepresident of South Africa by virtue of the "key roles" he played in thecountry's struggle against white minority rule.
Withonly weeks to go before South Africans vote in what's widely seen as the mostimportant polls since the nation's first democratic elections in 1994,opposition parties continue to attack Zuma as a result of his allegedcorruption. South Africa's elite Scorpions crime fighting unit has investigatedthe potential president for allegedly receiving bribes from a French armsmanufacturer related to the country's multimillion dollar arms deal.
TheANC has repeatedly repudiated calls from opposition parties for Zuma to withdrawas the ANC's presidential candidate.
"(Zuma)has been having these charges hanging over his head for close to 10 years. Theyhave been thrown out of court twice. That's why from where we are seated, wehave said that this is not prosecution but persecution," stressed Mantashe. "Thereforeif he's persecuted, I think we will be playing into the hands of those who wantto weaken the ANC, if we withdraw him (as presidential candidate). We want himto contest (the elections)."
Mantashe,however, added that if a "legitimate" case against Zuma is proceeding, and he iseventually found guilty of criminality, the ANC will ensure that he "stepsdown" as president of the country.
Zuma'strial is set for August, meaning that South Africa could see its sittingpresident being tried in a court of law on charges of fraud and corruption. Thecountry's constitution does not shield a president from criminalprosecution.
Butopposition parties maintain that, if the ANC gains a two-thirds majority inparliament after the April 22 elections, the party will change the constitutionto prevent Zuma from being prosecuted. But Mantashe denied that this wouldhappen.
"TheANC is (currently) having 70 percent in parliament. It has not tampered withthe constitution for (the past) five years. In the manifesto of the ANC thisyear, there's nothing that indicates that the ANC is intending to tamper withthe constitution. And (if we gain) 70 percent (majority in parliament after thenext elections) ? (we will make) no change (to the constitution). If we wintwo-thirds majority, there is no preoccupation with changing the constitutionin the ANC."
SouthAfrica's Scorpions agency played the central role in investigating Zuma'sallegedly corrupt role in the arms deal. But the ANC-controlled government recentlydisbanded the unit. Opposition parties allege that in so doing, the ANC isseeking to protect its corrupt members and placing itself above the law.
Mantashemaintained that the Scorpions had been disbanded because of "inefficiency," notas a result of the unit investigating a senior ANC member.
Mantasheexplained: "The Scorpions consisted of (about) 600 investigators. Theyinvestigated, on average, 325 cases per annum. You average that, and it meansthat every investigator in the Scorpions investigated 0.6 cases per annum.Obviously you can't defeat crime and corruption at that pace. That's why wehave opted for the establishment of a bigger, serious crime fighting unit,which will also house the Scorpions and other specialist units."
Heassured South Africans that law enforcement agencies will continue toinvestigate, arrest and prosecute any people who commit crime., no matter theirposition in society.
Oppositionparties, though, say there are many allegations of criminal behavior againstANC members at the moment that aren't being investigated, despite ampleevidence against them.