SOUTH AFRICA, UNRAVELLING?

South African former freedom fighter, political prisoner of conscience turned president Dr. Nelson Mandela owes the people of South Africa and that sub region one more lasting service; - to harmonize the warring factions of his African National Congress (ANC) before it is too late! If the simmering bickering is not urgently addressed and the revered statesman makes his exit, the unfolding whirlwind in South Africa's political landscape might blow away what he spent 27 years of his youth, in Robin Island prison, to achieve.

Regrettably, ego, greed and selfishness has pitched two former comrades, former president Thabo Mbeki and president in the waiting Jacob Zuma against each other and so have their flocks. This is a bunch who hitherto were brothers in arms fighting against the former repressive apartheid racist government of Botha's South Africa. Icheoku says no matter what it takes, the current rift between Mbeki and Zuma needs to be resolved urgently to starve off what might be the catalyst to permanently unravel black South African leadership!

Today there is a faction within the ANC and who knows what tomorrow might beget of these factions - may be a shooting war amongst brothers for no reason whatsoever other than the selfishness of their leadership? This is where Nelson Mandela must come in as a respectable African world leader to mediate a truce or final resolution of this emerging conflict. As a regional power-house, Africa cannot afford to have a South Africa that is disintegrated or not fully galvanised to continue to provide the leadership in that region. The white minority may be amused at what is unfolding between this former comrades and will cease on any given opportunity to reassert themselves. Icheoku says, this is the gleam future that awaits South Africa should the current imbroglio between Mbeki and Zuma be allowed to fester on and metastasize.

The other day a prominent member of South Africa's governing ANC Mbongeleni Zondi, 39, a staunch supporter of Jacob Zuma was gunned down in Umlazi, Durban. Mr. Zondi was great-grandson of Zulu chief Bambatha, known for leading a guerrilla campaign against British colonialists in 1906. According to ANC, Mr. Zondi was "brutally assassinated"! Icheoku says, what if the ANC decides to avenge the death or retaliate for the murder of their Zondi Mbongeleni? What if ANC's reprisal attack/s leads to an all out warfare between the ANC factions like obtains in today's Iraq, Afghanistan or in a turf-war like manner of the Mafia? When added to the already high crimes encumbering South Africa, such a street warfare between former ANC members will spell doom for South Africa. This is one reason why the living father of South Africa must intervene now as a matter of utmost state urgency. Comrades killing each other is a tragedy of the unfolding political madness in South Africa which might conflagrate the entire country barring a sudden decisive intervention by a commanding figure like Nelson Mandela.

Admitted that in a democracy, people of like minds are allowed to unite around a common cause in the form of a political party of their choice to push their agenda but the Mosioua Lekota's Congress of the People (Cope), formed after the ousting of former president Thabo Mbeki, will only succeed in splitting the ANC amongst old friendship lines. Icheoku says this is not good for South Africa's future and demands an immediate intervention to stop these former friends and comrades at arms from soon becoming foes at each others throats, fighting for power. South Africa must not be allowed to go the way of other African countries; what is at stake is too much and all hands must be on deck to forestall such implosion.