Divided ANC starts leadership vote

POLOKWANE, South Africa - South Africa's ruling ANC on Tuesday began voting in an acrimonious leadership election expected to put Jacob Zuma on track to become the country's president in 2009.

The vote, in which Zuma is favoured to oust President Thabo Mbeki as ANC leader, was delayed by two days of wrangling at a party congress between feuding supporters of the two rivals.

Because of the ANC's political dominance, if the populist Zuma wins he is almost certain to become president when Mbeki has to stand down in 2009.

Some investors fear a Zuma victory could lead to a reversal of the centrist course Mbeki has charted during his eight years in power, which has encouraged an economic boom. Critics accuse Mbeki of favouring big business and neglecting the poor.

The leadership contest has deeply divided the once monolithic party that has ruled South Africa virtually unopposed since the end of apartheid in 1994. The scenes of open opposition to Mbeki at the conference are unprecedented.

The party rifts, worst in the history of the ANC, have dismayed veterans including Nelson Mandela, and raised fears that continued political infighting will deflect attention from the burning issues of a huge AIDS epidemic, rampant crime and the continuing poverty of millions of black South Africans.

"Most worrying is whether the ANC can muster the will to rise beyond the current factionalism once the presidential race is resolved," said an editorial in the Sowetan newspaper.

Zuma, backed by trade unions, went into the congress with huge momentum over Mbeki, who has alienated the party rank and file. They say he has become autocratic and unapproachable.

Zuma has been cagey about what strategies he would pursue, but has tried to reassure investors there would be no sweeping economic policy changes under his leadership.

He has met businessmen overseas and toured poor villages at home on an American-style campaign trail, part of a remarkable political comeback after a rape trial and graft allegations that would have buried most politicians.

He was acquitted in the rape trial but evidence, including his admission that he showered after sex with an HIV-positive family friend to avoid infection, tarnished his reputation.

Zuma's supporters have staged noisy demonstrations at the congress, singing his signature anti-apartheid song "Bring me my machine-gun" and heckling Mbeki ministers.

WORST RIFTS

Mbeki and Zuma are both 65-year-old veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle, but their personalities are in sharp contrast.

Zuma, the son of a domestic worker, spent ten years in prison on Robben Island with Mandela.

A former member of ANC's military wing, Zuma rose to become head of intelligence. He has little formal education but plenty of charisma, unlike Mbeki, an aloof intellectual who is uncomfortable in big crowds.

Mbeki made his name in exile. He left South Africa to pursue a masters degree in economics in England and spent years lobbying against apartheid across the world.

Although he must step down as South African leader in 2009, Mbeki wants to retain control of the party to avoid becoming a lame duck and to influence the choice of his successor.

Mbeki's camp says Zuma is unfit to lead. He is the target of a corruption investigation over a major arms deal.