Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki

In what is believed to be the country's first 'online rally' more than 300 ANC veterans business and church leaders and anti-corruption activists took part in a spirited meeting on 21 August addressed by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela former ANC Cabinet Minister Derek Hanekom respected anti-apartheid church leader and former head of the presidency under Thabo Mbeki the Reverend Frank Chikane and leading organised business leader Sandile Zungu of the Black Business Council...

And senior members of the ruling party including the first post-apartheid defence minister Joe Modise and the then deputy president Thabo Mbeki seem to have calculated that major new arms purchases from Western powers would bring lucrative fringe benefits including funds to help pay for the ANC's 1999 election campaign (AC Vol 44 No 18 BAE's role in SA's big arms deal)...

That forum was to have witnessed they hoped a repeat of their triumphant challenge to President Thabo Mbeki in 2007 which soon led to his resignation...

Thabo Mbeki's visit in November 2019 indicates that South Africa is invested in stabilising the Zimbabwean political landscape...

For their part Ramaphosa's enemies intend to use the tactics Zuma employed when he launched the rebellion against ex-President Thabo Mbeki at the General Council of 2005...

It includes Alan Hirsch the chief government economist under former President Thabo Mbeki up-and-coming economist Thabi Leoka and energy expert Grové Steyn...

Also on board are the MP James  Ngculu who led the provincial ANC in the 2000s and was a supporter of Thabo Mbeki along with the former provincial secretary Faiz Jacobs now one of Magashule's main allies in the province...

They're uneasy about the return of figures from Thabo Mbeki's presidency such as Trevor Manuel and Maria Ramos...

'Time has revealed how adept Zuma was at posing as the innocent victim of an odious conspiracy ' wrote former ANC Intelligence Minister and struggle veteran Ronnie Kasrils who served under both Zuma and former President  Thabo Mbeki in his book on Zuma (AC Vol 57 No 8 Zuma's many foes mobilise)...

Tactics similar to those used to remove former President Thabo Mbeki before the end of his second term and are now being deployed behind the scenes by a committed group of senior ANC officials loyal to discredited former President Jacob Zuma (AC Vol 60 No 12 A tale of two ANCs)...