Tokyo guns for presidency

Moipone Malefane and Wally Mbhele
7 January 2007


ANC heavyweights approach Sexwale and ask him to make bid to lead South Africa

Businessman Tokyo Sexwale has been approached by three senior Cabinet ministers to run for the position of ANC president later this year, a move which would pave the way for him to become the president of South Africa when Thabo Mbeki retires in 2009.

With less than 11 months before the all-important ANC national conference, the Sunday Times can reveal that the Minister in the Presidency, Essop Pahad; the Minister of Social Development, Zola Skweyiya; and the Minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jorda n, are among ANC leaders who have asked Sexwale to make himself available for the party’s presidency.

Several ANC leaders to whom the Sunday Times spoke said they were aware of Sexwale’s pending bid for the party’s presidency.

Sexwale himself has been talking to both of the ANC factions, whose loyalties are split between Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.

Part of Sexwale’s strategy appears to be to seek former President Nelson Mandela’s endorsement of his candidature, which his backers believe would “constitute a great boost for his campaign”.

Sexwale is one of the few ANC politicians who have remained close to Mandela since his retirement in 1999.

He became the first Gauteng premier in 1994. He quit in 1997 because of political differences with Mbeki, who was Mandela’s deputy at the time. Relations between the two men had deteriorated to the extent that the two were hardly on speaking terms.

Sexwale’s strategy includes talking to both the Mbeki and the Zuma camps. He has invited Mbeki’s wife, Zanele, to join some of his business ventures through the Women’s Development Bank.

Sexwale has also spread his wings through the Batho Bonke share programme — the largest empowerment project of its kind that has roped in about 1.2 million previously disadvantaged people to become shareholders in Absa bank .

A number of ANC heavyweights own shares in Batho Bonke, and Mandela’s children are included in the scheme.

Sexwale is known to have been one of the few influential personalities that Mbeki consulted on the eve of firing Zuma in 2005.

Sexwale’s associates say he has extended an olive branch to Zuma following Zuma’ s acquittal on rape charges last year.

Sexwale is said to have advised Zuma to apologise to the nation for “his irresponsible comments” about taking a shower after having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman.

“Since then they have been talking and Zuma appreciated Tokyo’s help. Zuma has apparently asked him to stand for presidency, but the question is why does Zuma think he will not make it as president of the country,” the associate said.

Sexwale has in recent weeks been in contact with Zuma’s political advisers, but details of their discussions are not known.

The Sunday Times has been told that it is significant that Sexwale has remained silent about a recent article in The Weekender newspaper speculating about his bid.

Those who are opposed to him bidding for presidency have warned that he must expect “formidable obstacles” and challenges if he decides to enter the succession race.

The obstacles include the diehard Zuma supporters in Cosatu, the SA Communist Party and the ANC Youth League who still feel that Zuma must run for presidency.

“Tokyo’s comeback strategy won’t work and it won’t succeed because at the moment he is not actively involved in ANC structures,” said a senior member of the ANC. “For him to fight his way back is not going to be easy, no matter how close he is to Mandela.”

Sexwale’s financing of ANC conferences has been seen as a subtle way to win support in key ANC constituencies.

Some of the names that have been touted in ANC circles as potential candidates include the party’s secretary-general, Kgalema Motlanthe; Defence Minister and ANC chairman Mosioua Lekota, businessman Cyril Ramaphosa and Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma.

An influential party leader was adamant that “Zuma still wants to go ahead [to contest for the ANC presidency]. There’s no question about that. When things go wrong for JZ, Kgalema might become a strong candidate for Zuma’s supporters.

“Cyril’s name might also be thrown in as a compromise candidate, although he is also no longer rooted in the [ANC] structures.”

Sexwale’s office yesterday said he was not available for comment as he was still on leave.

ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama refused to be drawn into commenting about Sexwale’s possible challenge for the presidency.

He said if Jordan, Pahad and Skweyiya had been talking to Sexwale, they would have been doing so as individuals and not in their official capacity.

Skweyiya’s spokesman Lakela Kaunda said she could not comment on an ANC matter.

Jordan’s spokesman Sandile Mamela promised to get the minister to phone the Sunday Times back but at the time of going to press, he still had not done so. Pahad’s cellphone rang unanswered.

I hink Cyril Ramaphosa will make a good president. I'm not sure about Tokyo.

It wont be cyril. Everything I hear is thet Tokyo will be the comprimise candidate acceptable to all sides (both the Mbeki and Zuma camps). I think he will make a great president as he is not as cold and aloof as Mbeki but he is a not a mindless populist like Zuma. Crucially he will have the support of all race groups like Mandela had and he is Wall Street and The City's favoured candidate which means a huge amount of FDI if he becomes president.

It wont be cyril. Everything I hear is thet Tokyo will be the comprimise candidate acceptable to all sides (both the Mbeki and Zuma camps). I think he will make a great president as he is not as cold and aloof as Mbeki but he is a not a mindless populist like Zuma. Crucially he will have the support of all race groups like Mandela had and he is Wall Street and The City's favoured candidate which means a huge amount of FDI if he becomes president.

anything but zuma...i bet tokyo instead of promising washing machines ala 1994 elections he might promise to make everyone his apprentice..or super rich..:)
I hope tokyo is someone who will spend tons of money on public transport and huge developments :)...im talking huge huge huge

I always thought Phumzile Mlabo-Ngcuka would become the next president.

I always thought Phumzile Mlabo-Ngcuka would become the next president.
i dont think the ANC are ready for a female president.

I hope that Tokyo Sexwale or Cyril Ramaphosa becomes the next president of the ANC, which seems virtually certain to win the 2009 general election.

Jacob Zuma is an idiot and a fool. Phumazile Mlambo-Ncguka is smart but has too many corrupt connections including that of Buleleni. Masua Lekota is good but is a party man. Both Tokyo and Cyril are successful business people who would do well leading the country. My bet is that Tokyo will probably get the nomination as he has been in politics more recently than Cyril who stepped out not to long after the 1994 transition. Tokyo Sexwale was also the first premier of Gauteng from 1994-98 so he also has experience. He also has populist creditials with close connections with the ANC Youth League before the 1994 elections. Cyril Ramaphosa on the other hand played a leading role in the negotiations for a New South Africa as well as the former head of the National Union of Mineworkers during the apartheid era so it is a tough call between Cyril and Tokyo.

Although I think that Tokyo Sexwale will get it.

anyone besides, Zuma..... or that ass of a security minister

I'm curious as to what these "differences" between Sexwale and Mbeki were.
If Sexwale is "the anti-Mbeki" he may turn out to be a great president afterall. Maybe Sexwale will appoint a sane Health Minister rather than a mad nutter, and actually take border security seriously rather than let the rest of Africa roll in unabated.

This thread is even more relevant after the past month! November is going to be bloody interesting to see

go pumzi!

I have to agree that i think Phumzile could be a very interesting President if she were to be nominated. I get the sense that she would whip everyone into shape in the cabinet and fire those who aren't performing unlike Mbeki. Her stint with the Asgisa especially working with industry also means she has a better appreciation of the challenges we face and what its going to take to overcome them to achieve super growth. But she doesn't have the political clout in the ANC to pull off a successful nomination all on her own.

As for Tokyo he probably can do all that Phumzile would do, but these days i have come to accept that women can often be better leaders than men, especially in a developing economy like ours with a lot of issues that requires the tender loving hand of a mother (e.g. health, poverty, housing, education). They tend to focus on the basics and get the priorities right while men start with making sure the fridge has enough beer, lol. Tokyo has the political clout and perhaps the support to pull off a successful nomination, so in all likely hood he is going to be the one.

As for Cyril, the man has largely withdrawn from political life and i don't expect him to pull a surprise come back. To win this you really have to be in the circle and most importantly in the "running". He has been out of government for far too long time.

I think the business community would welcome Tokyo's appointment.
Actually I know

Think you will see a lot of optimism among market analysts and those sort of people if that happens since he is well educated about money, politics and economic policies. A well informed man like Tokyo is unlikely to make stupid decisions like a complete fool like JZ (but popular nonetheless)

BUT if Tokoyo becomes president, he has to let go ALL his positions in ALL his companies. one wonders if he is prepared to do so?

BUT if Tokoyo becomes president, he has to let go ALL his positions in ALL his companies. one wonders if he is prepared to do so?

He has already resigned as Chairman of Mvelaphanda Resources. I don't think that should be a major issue after having served on boards of several listed companies as well as government before he surely understands the concept of corporate governance and parliament's own code of ethics and its implication when assuming a public office. Its not like he desperately needs the money by serving in boards given his net worth that is almost R1 billion.

Those guys have world respect and I believe either of them will be a great leader. Tokyo has more charisma though, so he might be a more popular choice. As for a woman president, her judgment might be clouded by emotion and sentiment (I might be wrong in the case with Pumzi)

^^ and men arent?