Sunday Times online (2/2/2008) — 02/06/2008
MBEKI TO BE 'SNUBBED' AT OPENING OF PARLIAMENT
Ndivuho Mafela
Zuma supporters cut back on President's State of the Nation address

Parliament has cut back on plans for President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address on Friday in the latest power-play by Jacob Zuma's new ANC leadership. Speaker of the Assembly Baleka Mbete, who is also the new ANC chairman and head of the party's Political Committee at Parliament, has postponed the presentation of the legislature's theme for the year and will present it at a separate function some days after Mbeki’s address. On previous occasions Mbeki had walked past banners inscribed with a theme on his way to Parliament’s main chamber. This time the banners will be absent. MPs who have been briefed on the arrangements said the traditional lunch for Cabinet ministers, MPs and important guests immediately after the President's speech had been dropped. Instead, Speaker Mbete will host a massive A-list banquet at the Cape Town Convention Centre in the evening.
 
'Use of state institutions to settle ANC scores' – De Lille
Opposition parties slammed the change of style as a slap in the face for Mbeki and a new round in the ANC's internal battle for supremacy between supporters of Mbeki and of Zuma. 'This is a calculated snub to Mbeki. This has always been his moment of glory, but he has had the rug pulled from under him,' said Democratic Alliance spokesman Mike Ellis. United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa also described the move as a 'calculated snub' to the lame-duck Mbeki, who lost out in the ANC's leadership race. 'It is the use of state institutions to settle ANC scores,' said Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille. The tradition since 1994 has been that the President opens the parliamentary year with a review of the state of the nation on a Friday morning in February. The event has increasingly taken on a party atmosphere with bands, performances and colourful cultural presentations in Parliament Street , which is lined with banners proclaiming the legislature’s theme for the year.
 
Calls by ANC for Parliament to assert itself over Executive
Last year, the theme was 'Deepening the Debate'; the year before it was a celebration of constitutional rights. In his opening speeches, however, Mbeki has proclaimed separate themes for his government, ranging from last year's promise to deliver on the pledge of a better life, to the previous year's catchier 'Age of Hope'. Parliament's spokesman, Luzuko Jacobs, said there was no link between Mbeki's State of the Nation address and Parliament's theme for the year. He said the theme would be presented at a separate function to get the legislative year under way. Jacobs said that Mbeki's address was about the government's programme of action and that Parliament's role was to provide a platform and to ensure public participation. He said Parliament would launch its theme at an 'appropriate time', to be decided by Mbete and National Council of Provinces' Mninwa Mahlangu. 'We are still conceptualising the format the launch will take,' Jacobs said. He said Parliament was trying to ‘avoid confusion’ between the theme and Mbeki’s address. The scaling down of Mbeki’s State of the Nation address comes amid calls by the newly elected, Jacob Zuma-led ANC leadership, including Ms Mbete, that Parliament should assert itself over the Executive. The party's treasurer, Mathews Phosa, told ANC MPs last week to stop trailing the Executive on issues of national importance.