S Africa's splinter party to toe Obama's line

Johannesburg, Nov 7 (PTI) Enthused by Barack Obama's
historic election to the White House, the pro-Thabo Mbeki
break-away faction of the ruling African National Congress
(A.N.C.) in South Africa has adopted 'Change' as their motto
for next year's elections.

"Just as Barack Obama has surprised America and the
world, we will surprise South Africans. We aim to bring
change," Mbhazima Shilowa, one of the leaders of the new party
and former Premier of the economically-rich province of
Gauteng, said.

In an interview to the official SABC national radio
Friday Shilowa also informed that the new party will be called
'Congress of the People'.

"We have arrived at a new name- Congress of the People-
after consultations among all role players. The new name will
be registered with the Independent Electoral
Commission(I.E.C.) on Monday," Shilowa said.

Shilowa and former Defence Minister Mosioua Lekota are
the leading figures in the break-away party. They resigned
from the ruling A.N.C. along with several other cabinet
ministers after President Mbeki was sacked by the ruling
A.N.C. in September.

Since then scores of A.N.C. members around the country
stepped down from their positions and joined the new party in
holding the national convention in Johannesburg last week.

More than 6500 people attended the convention.

Most of the disgruntled A.N.C. members have expressed
their anger at the manner in which Mbeki was sacked and over
A.N.C.'s efforts to obtain a "political solution" for their
leader, Jacob Zuma's alleged fraud and corruption charges.

Shilowa re-iterated that they were aiming to win power
from the A.N.C. during the general elections early next year.
PTI SB
DEP