Rasool Declines ANC Request to Lead Westernโ Cape Rebuild
Former South African ambassador to the US, โฃEbrahim Rasool, has declined a request from the African National Congress (ANC) to lead a task team aimed at rebuilding the party’s structures โคin the Western Cape. Rasool cited commitments to the World for All Foundation as the reason for his decision.
The ANC announced earlier this month it would disband its Western Cape leadership and establish a provincial task team following years of instability within the province. Rasool was initially named to head this team, but ANCโค secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed onโข Tuesday that Rasool had declined the position.Mbalula stated Rasool “understood that the role of leading โinโข the Western Cape required singular focus.”
Rasool, who previously servedโข as โthe Western Cape’sโ premier, emphasized his long history โwith the ANC, spanning nearly four decades. “Duringโ the 1980s โI was asked to โsacrifice โfor freedom. I gladly didโ so. during the mid-1990s I was asked to lead the ANC from the low 33% [support in the province] and we โฃtook it to government in the province. After โคPolokwane, the ANC led by [jacob] Zuma asked me to resign as premier. I did so,”โค he explained.
However, Rasool asserted that circumstances have changed. “But this โคis a different time, a โขdifferent ANC, and I’m a different person. seven months after returning from the US, I’ve โhad to engage the world without theโค ANC. I’ve signed โขthe โคcontract withโ a global entity,โข and I’ve advancedโ the work of the World for All Foundation.”
He detailed thatโ his work with the civil society organizationโ involves travel toโข regions requiring โขhumanitarianโฃ and development assistance. Rasoolโ also โnoted his ability to participate โin geopoliticalโค discussions,specifically referencing opportunities to “engage inโฆa coherent and heroic response to the bullying of a โsuperpower โขas โคits dominance crumbles.”
“Theseโ matters keep me โbusy, and I will not โhave โขthe 100% effort I usually bring to a task of the ANC, especially not oneโ of leading an overlyโ large and diverse collection in the face of a resourced and slick incumbent party inโ the Westernโฃ Cape. I wish โคtheโฃ ANC well in their task and the leadership of Jerimia Thuynsma,” Rasool concluded.
Rasool’s diplomatic tenure in the USโข ended with controversy in March 2024, when US Senator Marco Rubio announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Rasool was “no longer welcome” in the country, labeling him “a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS” and declaring him “PERSONAโ NON GRATA,” followingโฃ reports Rasool had characterized USโค Presidentโ donald โTrump as leading aโฃ white supremacist โmovement.
The โANC’s restructuring in โthe Western Cape has already seen repercussions, with Neville Delport,โฃ the party’s former provincial secretary, defecting to the Democratic Alliance (DA)โ last โคweek.
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