ANC was buried at Polokwane conference: Phosa

Former African National Congress (ANC) Treasurer General Matthews Phosa says that the party was buried at the 2007 Polokwane conference.

Phosa made the comments today during his interview with SABC News to discuss his political memoir “Witness To Power”.

The 2007 ANC conference in Polokwane saw former President Jacob Zuma succeed President Thabo Mbeki, who was running to be party leader for a third time.

Phosa says that the contest between Mbeki and Zuma at that conference resulted in a permanent split of the party.

“And you knew that the contest between Zuma and Thabo (Mbeki) would create a permanent split in the party. It was very clear. It was almost equal blocks contesting. You would not tell easily which one was going to win. And that is the recipe for a split, a big split in the party, which never existed between the two individuals. And indeed, that split … it slaughtered the ANC, and we buried it there. It never recovered from that split,” says Phosa.

In conversation with former ANC Treasurer General Mathews Phosa on his political memoir: