Published in The Times on 15 May 2012

120515tt - The Leadership Challenge and the Showerman Show

Description & Background

Due to outdated codes, traditions and rituals governing the elections of the ANC president, challengers are often afraid to announce their canditure. The opacity, secrecy and lack of transparency in internal ANC elections open the system to manipulation, corruption and the abuse. It also raises the possibility of selective prosecutions to sideline rivals.  While  Jacob Zuma and Gwede Mantashe have banned all public talk about the leadership succession in the party, saying such talk is premature. Reality showws every political manoeuvre by the ANC leadership now is aimed at influencing the direction of the party’s leadership election at the 2012 national elective conference in Bloemfontein (Mangaung).  Now who are the challengers? Zapiro's cartoon lists:

Jellyman (Kgalema Motlanthe) - Weakness no backbone - Motlanthe, who was initially reluctant to challenge Zuma, has now told his comrades in the ANC and government that he is interested in the position. Motlanthe has kept his distance, at least publicly, from those campaigning for ANC President . Hiis presence at a rally organised by the ANC Youth League in Limpopo in March created the impression he did not mind being associated with a group campaigning for change.On the otherhand he has n't had the guts to announce his candidature.

Invisible Man (Cyril Ramphosa) - Does n't show up - Will Cyril Ramaphosa step up to the Presdential plate or is it a question of not IF but WHEN. Is he waiing for the right time. Back in 1994 he could have been made Mandela’s deputy president but at that stage lost out to Mbeki and withdrew from active politics but remained in the ANC's NEC.

Too cocky man (Tokyo Sexwale) - His annoying sidekick jujuman - Most of the Sunday papers have reported that  unofficial challnger Tokyo Sexwale’s campaign – the unofficial one of course – was  finally getting off the ground.

The original cartoon that was published in the Times had a mistake. The label on Invisible Man was left out.  Sometimes there are deliberately little mysteries in a cartoon and it’s intriguing for the reader to work them out. But sometimes the cartoonist leaves something out by mistake because of a looming deadline and the cartoon loses a key piece of information. That’s what happened today. 

The Cartoon is based on a parody of  The Avengers, which is a team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics.

People in the cartoon

Jacob Zuma / Kgalema Motlanthe / Cyril Ramaphosa / Tokyo Sexwale / Julius Malema

Tags

ANC / Presidential elections / Mangaung / Showerman / The Avengers

Text in the cartoon

Links

• Malema and allies plan to 'reclaim' ANC
• Sexwale's bid to lead ANC gains momentum
• Defiance 2.0: Malema's back, alive & kicking
• Close allies of Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe have revealed that he is determined to run for higher office and challenge Jacob Zuma after all.
• Zuma, Motlanthe clash over rules
• Sexwale may be in race, but Zuma’s in the lead -President Jacob Zuma has several advantages over his two possible competitors
• Motlanthe’s actions hint he will challenge Zuma
• Tokyo Sexwale's three letters: A, B, Z - The charismatic politician-turned-businessman-turned-politician is having another go at the ANC presidency. He made a series of fatal blunders the last time around, which resulted in an abrupt climb-down from his soapbox. As the “Anyone But Zuma” campaign takes flight, it would perhaps be wise for him and his backers to avoid making the same mistakes again.
• NEWS ANALYSIS: Ramaphosa back in political fray Cyril Ramaphosa is widely considered one of the African National Congress’s most credible senior leaders, and a possible future president
• It is time Cyril Ramaphosa returned
• Will Cyril step up to the Presidential plate
• ANC Road to Mangaung 2012 - Zuma on track for second term

Related Zapiro cartoons

• 120322mg - Marching onto Mangaung and ANC presidential election day

Related cartoons from other cartoonists

• Brandan on 7May 2012 in Business Day via Africartoons