Mandela Denies Rumours of Split From Anc

Nelson Mandela has denied speculation that he no longer supported the ruling African National Congress party, which has suffered an acrimonious split in the run-up to this year's election.

Mandela's office said yesterday that it was "completely erroneous" to assume he was distancing himself from the party he represented as South Africa's first black president. Mandela, 90, has refused to be drawn into the recent power struggle within the ANC, which led to the ousting of President Thabo Mbeki last year and the formation of a rival party.

Mbeki is not attending the ANC's 97th birthday celebrations in East London, Eastern Cape, today, and neither is Mandela, who has repeatedly said he is trying to retire from public life. Press reports in South Africa suggested that the ANC had been desperate to secure Mandela's public backing before the birthday event.

In a letter of support sent to the ANC to be read on his behalf today, Mandela said politicians of his era had completed their work, and a new generation needed to take responsibility. "There has been a lot of speculation about my position with regards to recent events within the organization. I have chosen - and made that publicly known - not to become involved in those or other political matters."

The new political party, the Congress of the People (Cope), is led by ANC dissidents Mosiuoa Lekota, the former defence minister, and Mbhazima Shilowa, former premier of Gauteng. They were angered by the ANC's treatment of Mbeki, and accuse the party of being undemocratic.

While Cope will take votes from the ANC, the ruling party is expected to comfortably win the parliamentary poll.

In his letter, Mandela praised the ANC for its past achievements but did not explicitly endorse it for April's election.

"The primary challenge for our country remains the consolidation and deepening of our democracy and the fundamental improvement of the lives of all South Africans. The role of the ANC in all of this remains crucial."