S Africa's Splinter Party To Toe Obama's li

This news updete by www.zeenews.com


Johannesburg: Enthused by Barack Obama's historic election to the White House, the pro-Thabo Mbeki break-away faction of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa has adopted 'Change' as their motto for next year's elections.

"Just as Barack Obama has surprised America and the world, we will surprise South Africans. We aim to bring change," Mbhazima Shilowa, one of the leaders of the new party and former premier of the economically-rich province of Gauteng, said.

In an interview to the official SABC national radio today, Shilowa also informed that the new party will be called 'Congress of the People'.

"We have arrived at a new name- Congress of the People- after consultations among all role players. The new name will be registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Monday," Shilowa said.

Shilowa and former Defence Minister Mosioua Lekota are the leading figures in the break-away party. They resigned from the ruling ANC along with several other cabinet ministers after President Mbeki was sacked by the ruling ANC in September.

Since then scores of ANC members around the country stepped down from their positions and joined the new party in holding the national convention in Johannesburg last week.

More than 6,500 people attended the convention. Most of the disgruntled ANC members have expressed their anger at the manner in which Mbeki was sacked and over ANC's efforts to obtain a "political solution" for their leader, Jacob Zuma's alleged fraud and corruption charges.

Shilowa reiterated that they were aiming to win power from the ANC during the general elections early next year.



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