ANC Holds Breath on Zuma's Policies

Jacob Zuma makes his first address as leader of the ruling African National Congress today as the party waits to find out the intentions of the man it elected largely on the basis that he is not Thabo Mbeki.

Zuma has courted a host of constituencies from business interests to the Communist party and Afrikaner nationalists, but avoided making commitments to any of them, preferring broad brush promises.

Investors have been assured he will maintain business-friendly economic policies, while the unions and communists have been promised job creation, land reform and poverty alleviation.

The first issue will be who decides. While Zuma has won control of the party, and through it wields considerable influence in parliament, Mbeki remains South Africa's president for 17 months unless an early election is called. "Who now governs?" asked Mac Maharaj, a former Mbeki cabinet minister. "Is it the party as policy maker or the party representatives in government? That's going to be difficult to resolve." Zuma and his allies say the ANC sets policy, not the government.

A Zuma victory brings the ANC back closer to its ruling alliance partners - the 1.9 million-member trades union confederation, Cosatu, and the Communist party - which were largely ignored by Mbeki.

The new ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, is also the Communist party chairman. Three of the six newly elected top ANC national executive members are former trade union leaders.

Blade Nzimande, the Communist party leader, yesterday laid out what his party expects from Zuma by taking a dig at Mbeki's aloof style and failure to connect with the people. "We must avoid the dangers of a technocratic, not to mention corporate, culture and aloofness," he said.

The unions hope to get policies that produce more jobs and less poverty.

Mbeki's government has spent more per capita on poverty alleviation than almost any country, transforming the lives of many poor people who have gained access to decent housing, water, electricity and health clinics. But the strategy has been undermined by insufficient numbers of skilled people to implement it, corruption and incompetent ANC officials.

While the focus has been on Zuma's economic policies, he may have more immediate influence in other areas. He wants Aids to be regarded as a national emergency, in a dig at Mbeki's stalling over the disease, which claims nearly 1,000 lives a day in South Africa.

Zuma is pressing for stronger measures on crime and challenged Mbeki's "quiet diplomacy" in dealing with the Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe. Zuma favors direct pressure for a free election.