President Nelson Mandela said yesterday he would coast happily to retirement after the ANC elected a new leader this week. He also hinted at a political alliance involving his long-time rival, the Zulu leader, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, that could unite three-quarters of South Africa's voters.
Mr Mandela (79) said in a valedictory television interview in advance of the 50th national conference of the ANC on Tuesday that he had absolute confidence in his likely successor as leader of the ANC, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.
"He is a man of exceptional qualities: very respectful, very warm, very sensitive to the suffering of our people. I have no doubt that he will raise this organisation and put it on a level where it has never been before," Mr Mandela said. "I am retiring very happy because I think that we have made progress towards delivering services, nation-building and promoting the spirit of reconciliation. I will enjoy my last year as ceremonial President," he said.
Mr Mandela declined to comment on the attempt by his former wife, Ms Winnie Madikizela Mandela, to become deputy leader of the party.
Mr Mbeki (55), is the only nominee to succeed Mr Mandela as party leader and is "already de facto President of the country," Mr Mandela said. "I am pushing everything to him."
Mr Mandela hinted at a significant change in the political landscape, however, saying he had been in constant negotiation since 1991 with Chief Buthelezi about merging the ANC with the Zulu chief's traditionalist Inkatha Freedom Party. "It is in the interest of a country that has just crawled out from a painful past of tension, divisions, conflict and bloodshed that we should be able to pool our energies, our resources in order to be able to address these problems," he said.
He denied the proposed merger could set South Africa on a path to one-party rule.