South Africans share views on ANC split

South Africa's former Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has threatened to form a new party after close ally Thabo Mbeki was forced from power last month.

Here South Africans share their views on the possibility of an imminent split in the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Click on the links below to read their views:

Vincent Masoga, 25, professional, Germiston

"The manner in which Lekota and his gang have abandoned the ANC is very disappointing"

Makhado, 30, engineer, Johannesburg

"The ANC used to be united, in the past when we were fight for freedom, but nowadays we're fighting for different things"

Erna, 33, graphic designer, Pretoria

"The Lekota faction will hardly be an opposition to the ANC"

Nelson, professional, Pretoria

"For the sake of our democracy it is good to have an alternative . Think about the country!"

Nkutu, 55, retired civil servant, Pretoria

"It's really dispiriting to see the disintegration of one party in such a way"

VINCENT MASOGA, 25, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, GERMISTON

What do I think of the new kid?

I don't think the guys that are going off in their own direction are in the majority and so I think they are just a splinter group. They are not a viable opposition.

Therefore it is not going to make any difference.

They don't have any fundamental direction or support, I think, and it's not going to make the lives of South Africans any better.

Mr Lekota resigned after Thabo Mbeki was forced to step down

If you look at what led to this rebellion you can see it shows it was primarily inevitable because of the need for a change in leadership because of the issues of poverty, health and education.

Some people, around the world, think we are sitting on a ticking time bomb here in South Africa.

But if they came here and could see how two areas can sit across a road from each other. And how on one side you can see people who have everything - they earn a lot, their children go to fine schools, they have more than enough to eat, they are always flying off on aeroplanes and so on and so on.

And then how the people on the opposite side have nothing.

No running water, no electricity, poor education facilities for their kids, very little healthcare, no jobs.

Nothing. It is not sustainable.

The working class is going to turn against each other - similar to how they turned on the foreigners during the xenophobic attacks.

Or it's going to get to the stage where they turn against the middle classes through crime-related activities and the like.

So, what happened at Polokwane was democratically right.

I think Jacob Zuma would make a good president. He is able to communicate with the people and so when we think about the issues that need delivering he will not be detached from the people.

A multi-party democracy is good and healthy for a country and to have many different voices and options that people can be allowed to choose from and then vote for accordingly will benefit the beautiful democracy in our country.

But the manner in which "Terrror" [Mosiuoa Lekota's nickname because of his prowess on the football field] and his gang have abandoned the ANC is very disappointing.

They have done this because they are no longer holding positions of power and they can't bear to be without.

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MAKHADO, 30, ENGINEER, JOHANNESBURG

I welcome the idea of a new political party to challenge the ANC - at last we are going to have a viable alternative.

"Terror" spoke like a leader - straight to the point and fearless.

I think amongst all the guys who could be likely leaders of a new opposition, he deserves to be the most.

I have been following his political career and I like how he always raises his concerns; how he speaks out.

If the split does go ahead then come next elections, "Terror" has my valuable vote.

The ANC has become too arrogant. They really are. The way they let Julius Malema say the things he has - it's just not right. I think come the election, they're in for a shock.

Also their penchant for bringing ethnicity into the mix - calling Jacob Zuma our Zulu-boy and all that.

Thabo Mbeki was seen by critics as aloof and pro-business

It's wrong. Not all of us are Zulu.

And the fact that the president was removed from power to protect Zuma from the law.

We are living in a banana republic. I agree with Archbishop Tutu 100% - legally they might have done the right thing in forcing Mbeki to step down but morally they have not.

And it is very important that we protect morals in our country because if you look back at our amoral past, it is so important that it is never repeated.

The new ANC leadership are not protecting the virtues of the party. The ANC used to be united, in the past when we were fighting for our freedom, but nowadays it's different - we're fighting for different things: poverty, characters, people's rights.

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ERNA, 33, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, PRETORIA

We have had a breakaway before - it was Bantu Holomisa; and the party he started was called the United Democratic Movement (UDM).

He thought that his character and his personality was so strong that he would get a huge following but it never happened.

And that is exactly what Lekota is doing - he's thinking he's so well-known and strong. But it won't happen for him. Yes, there will be a breakaway party but I don't think that he'll be the president. It will end up just like the UDM.

HAVE YOUR SAY

A breakaway faction from the ANC would be very good for democracy here =. We desperately need an honest, uncorrupted alternative

Degreeofhope, Pretoria

Send us your comments

The Lekota faction will hardly be an opposition to the ANC. Definitely, it'll be even smaller than the current opposition Democratic Alliance (DA).

The ANC at the moment have the infrastructure, everything... while this idea of a new party idea doesn't. Not even any funding.

I think it'll only be decades before they're an opposition to be reckoned with - like the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe.

I am not disappointed about has happened amongst the ANC leadership. But what I am worried about is that the ANC elders are having to bow down to the ANC youth league and to Cosatu [body of trade unions]. Imagine a bunch of out-of-control youngsters, criminals actually; who are in charge? That's what worries me.

Our democracy is strong.

If the ANC can manage and control the youth league then our country will be safe.

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NELSON MADIBENG, PROFESSIONAL, PRETORIA

The split is not only inevitable but absolutely necessary as well. The ANC in its current form has too much power. We need a new party, formed by ANC insiders, to curtail the possibility of further abuse of the ruling party's overwhelming parliamentary majority.

For the sake of our democracy it is good to have an alternative to the ANC. Think about the country!

Lekota is fearless and the right man to lead such a move. Of course, he will be called names, but that should not worry him.

There has been a long period of conflict in the ruling party and this is now spreading to the public domain. There are serious ideological and personal differences among the leaders of the ruling party. This is the only way of setting out all those differences. For the sake of our democracy it is good to have an alternative to the ANC.

Think about the country! The most pressing needs for South Africa, the number one priority is unemployment, crime and HIV. We have big issues. Such problems can only be controlled if there is an electoral system where political leaders are accountable to the electorate and not just to the party.

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NKUTU MAOLOSI, 55, RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT, PRETORIA

I have been a member of the ANC for 33 years. I was unhappy with what happened to our president before it was his time go. But I've always said that we need a workable opposition.

I disagree totally with the move Lekota has made. The ANC has its own structures, its own way of doing things. He should have exhausted all possible means of resolving the crisis before resorting to this.

It only proves that he was not committed to the ANC and only to his own personal advancement.

This country needs a strong and viable opposition for it to function because the ruling party, the majority in party in government is too dominant. But we need a credible opposition. I don't think Lekota's party is credible enough.

I've always said that we need a workable opposition

What policies is he going to change? It is it a new party or is it just a splinter group? South Africa has many problems. Service delivery is critical. We do have sanitation, water for people but not enough. Many of our people are living in dire straits, infrastructures are not up to the mark. The black majority need housing, water, job opportunities.

When Lekota talks about the freedom charter, this country's basic governing document, what is he trying to do to address inequalities?

It's really dispiriting for some of us to see the disintegration of one party in such a way, to see people lashing out at each other like this after all we have come through.

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