Kgalema Motlanthe’s to challenge Zuma

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Motlanthe has kept his distance, at least publicly, from those campaigning for him to replace President Jacob Zuma at the end of the year.
But his presence at a rally organised by the ANC Youth League in Limpopo last month created the impression he did not mind being associated with a group campaigning for change.
This was not the first time Motlanthe had addressed a league gathering. He was the closing speaker when Julius Malema was re-elected president of the league in June last year. If that appearance failed to generate much interest, or provide clues as to Motlanthe’s intentions, then last month’s Limpopo rally was certainly guaranteed to be an awkward moment for him.
Limpopo is where the call for change is most vocal, and the wounded league is looking for every possible help in its campaign to replace president Zuma.
Motlanthe would have gone there knowing that he would be associated with the league’s campaign by his presence. If he appears again on similar platforms, it will be considered an indication that he is available for the top job.
Increasingly, it appears that a leadership contest is on the cards despite attempts by ANC officials to contain it. But in an environment where party members cannot openly align themselves or nominate a leader until the succession gun is sounded in October, clues and whispers will indicate which way the wind is blowing.
The succession smoke is there for everyone to see. However, despite the talk of his availability to challenge for the presidency, there is nothing that suggests Motlanthe is actively campaigning to replace Zuma.
An ANC official, who is keen to see leadership change, says Motlanthe would not campaign for the post. Rather, he would wait to be officially nominated, when the ANC allows its branches to nominate candidates in October.
In a statement last year, Motlanthe said he was not campaigning, but did not rule out his availability. In many ways that statement was similar to Zuma’s a decade ago, when he said he had no ambitions to reach the highest office.
Motlanthe’s message did not say he did not have ambitions, but that his future would be determined by the ANC in Mangaung in December. While Motlanthe has played the disciplined game by steering away from the debate in public, there will be people watching his every move, looking for clues of his allegiance.
One of those will be Zuma. A challenger out in the open would be easier for Zuma to manage than a silent deputy. — Business Day.