afrol News, 15 October - Former prime minister of Gauteng province in South Africa, Mbhazima Shilowa, has been labelled an opportunist and elitist seeking self glory, by former comrades after handing in his resignation from ruling African National Congress today.

"Shilowa and his ilk will not succeed. Parties can only be built on the foundation of principles and not on naked opportunism and new found elitism!" spokesperson for largest trade union movement in South Africa bitterly said in a statement today.

Mr Shilowa joins former defence minister, Mosiuoa Lekota, who jumped the gun on formation of a splinter party from ruling ANC in South Africa.

Earlier today Mr Shilowa told media that he made decision to resign from ruling party knowing that he will be vilified from some quaters. "I will not respond to such utterances, should they be made," said Mr Shilowa, adding that decision to leave ANC was not an easy decision and was happy it had now passed.

Shilowa disclosed he would be convenor in chief of national convention, mentioned by Mr Lekota last week, to be held on 2 November at a venue yet to be named.

He also mentioned that a committee is to be established which will travel across South Africa, interacting with ordinary people, "inside and outside the ANC", to find out how to improve on building a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa.

He said the committee would be consulting community structures, young and old, religious organisations and business organisations before planned convention.

On their part COSATU while it regrets Mr Shilowa's resignation, it was not surprised by today’s formal parting of ways, saying he has dumped his principles before.

"We who know him well know that by dumping the ANC he is not acting in a principled fashion as he claims. This is all about serving a disappointed Shilowa’s political ambitions and nothing else. His biggest problem has always been his elastic ambitions and a huge ego. For him it has always been about - what is in it for me?" COSATU statement charged.

During his tenure as General Secretary of COSATU, statement said he was one of the strongest critics of government’s conservative macro-economic programmes, but regretted that today he was one of the fiercest supporters of very same macro-economic programmes that have failed to address crises of poverty and unemployment and that deepened inequalities. The “correct path” and “remaining on course”, for which he argued today when answering journalists’ questions, can only worsen unemployment, poverty and address inequalities, concluded COSATU statement.

Today's developments according to political observers are a clear indication that a new splinter party will indeed be up and running to contest SA elections schedule before July next year.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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