Launch of new party expected soon

It is a thing of beauty watching these people squirm. The cons have been conned by their own people.

They've always been ANC and now to be without a political 'home' makes all of them uncomfortable.

Wait, wait for it...wait..nope..don't care.

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An "organiser" of the new mooted political party says they want to launch this week and register the organisation with the Independent Electoral Commission in time to contest next year's elections.

The organiser claims that BEE companies and international institutions are ready to fund the new venture. But "complications" emerged on Monday night, he said, which could delay the launch.

The organiser, a former key leader of the tripartite alliance, refused to disclose the nature of the complications, but said co-ordinators of the new party include former ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama and former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota, who has rattled the ruling party by challenging its conduct and policy direction.

Ngonyama on Monday dismissed any involvement with the new party. "I am not involved in any party. Leave me alone please," he said.

Lekota refused to discuss anything to do with the new party, saying "I am busy engaging the ANC. I told you that my focus right now is to get answers from the (ANC) secretary-general (Gwede Mantashe)."

Mantashe said the new party had nothing to do with the ANC.

Some ministers and deputy ministers who resigned recently and other disgruntled high-ranking officials are believed to be behind the new party.

However, one of them, former deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi, on Monday night said he remained a loyal member of the ANC - the party "I served for 32 years".

"Yes, I am unhappy. Currently, I believe that serious things are happening that don't represent ANC values and policies, but I remain a loyal member of the ANC … I have never been in any meeting of any new party," Moleketi said.

Former minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad refused to comment, saying "find somebody else. I don't know anything about it".

Other former ministers whose names have been linked to the new party could not be reached for comment.

The organiser claims they have "a presence" in nearly every province, especially areas where branches and regions were disbanded by the ANC.

"We have the support of senior ANC provincial officials in North West and a lot of support in the Northern Cape, Limpopo and Western Cape, and, surprisingly, even in KwaZulu Natal."

He refused to be named because he said "we are yet to emerge publicly". They would decide this week the names of those who would be the public face of the new party.

The organiser said that for now they had decided to shield former ministers and other high-ranking politicians from public scrutiny.

"The reason is simple: we don't want the ANC to capitalise on their presence and say 'this is a party of people with an axe to grind and sour grapes'. It is a strategic decision."

But he said they were encountering problems with potential supporters who did not want to "abandon the ANC emotional badge".

"This is our main problem, especially in the Western Cape and Gauteng."

Following "extensive discussions", they would register with the Independent Electoral Commission and contest the 2009 elections while "people are still angry with what is happening in the congress. We cannot wait five years."

He said that although they would not form an alliance with any party, they were hoping to form coalitions with "progressive" opposition parties only after the elections.

"We acknowledge that the ANC will win the coming elections, but we will dilute its support in key provinces such as the Western Cape and Gauteng," he said.

The new party did not have a name yet.

He said the rush to launch without a name was precipitated by pressure.

"We are under pressure to launch.

"People are already threatening to join other parties if we don't go ahead. It's a serious dilemma. But we have support," he said.