National Thabo Mbeki decries ‘divisive’ ANC land approach BL PREMIUM

Former president Thabo Mbeki has weighed in on the land question, saying the ANC has abandoned its historical values on non-racialism through its framing of the debate as one of black versus white. A 30-page paper leaked from the Mbeki Foundation questions the ANC’s approach to the land issue, saying it marks a shift from the party’s values expressed throughout its 106-year history. Business Day has established that the paper was an internal working paper at Mbeki Foundation and was not intended for public consumption. The paper says communication from the ANC around the land question indicates that the ANC is no longer "a representative of the people of SA". It argues that while the land question is an imperative that should be addressed, it has to be done while simultaneously responding to the "national question", which is to unite South Africans across race and class divides.

The posture of some leaders in the ANC, the paper says, mirrors more the position of the EFF than t...