THE FORMER premier of South Africa's wealthiest province has quit the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and thrown his weight behind party dissidents attempting to form a new movement ahead of next year's general election, writes Bill Corcoranin Johannesburg.
Mbhazima Shilowa, who stood down as Gauteng premier last month in protest over Thabo Mbeki's removal by the ANC as South Africa's president, told the ruling party on Tuesday night he was resigning his membership.
Mr Shilowa is one of the ANC's most respected officials and a favourite among the business community. He is the second highprofile ANC member to quit the former liberation movement since Mr Mbeki was sacked as president for allegedly influencing the National Prosecution Authority's decision to charge party president Jacob Zuma with corruption.
Discontent among a faction of Mbeki loyalists in the ANC has been growing steadily since late last year when Mr Zuma ousted him as party president following a vote by senior members at its annual convention.
ANC national executive committee member Charlotte Lobe also resigned from the party yesterday because of the direction it was taking under Mr Zuma.
At a press conference in Johannesburg, Mr Shilowa said he was backing former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota's call for a national convention at which the idea of a new party would be discussed to gauge its popularity.
Mr Lekota, who resigned as defence minister after Mr Mbeki's removal, has accused the current ANC leader of straying from the party's long-standing policies and democratic principles.
"After much soul-searching and interrogation of the aims and objectives of the national convention and the possible outcome thereof, I have decided to resign my membership of the ANC with immediate effect; to lend my support to the initiative by making myself available on a full-time basis as the convenor and volunteer-in-chief together with comrade Mosiuoa and others," Mr Shilowa said.
He added: "I have taken this decision knowing fully well that I will be vilified."
The convention is scheduled to take place on November 2nd.
Mr Shilowa's show of support for Mr Lekota came a day after it was revealed that the ANC's national working committee had suspended him and his former deputy defence minister, Mluleki George, for touting the idea of a new party among members.