Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the South African ruling African National Congress President Jacob Zuma has held talks in Nairobi to seek ways of strengthening relationship between the Orange Democratic Party (ODM) and ANC.
The local daily, the Standard reported on Thursday that the two held a two-hour closed-door meeting at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when Zuma made a stop-over in Nairobi, en route to Lebanon.
Zuma, who is expected to become South Africa's president in next year's elections, emerged from the meeting and confirmed an alliance between ANC and ODM.
The 66-year-old Zuma warned African dictators that their time was up and urged them to pave way for democracy across the continent.
"Africa has reached a point where the link of progressive political parties is very crucial to shape up the continent," Zuma told the newspaper.
Though Zuma portrayed the ANC as a progressive party, it has been accused of increasing intolerance that has led to cracks and the possibility of a split and formation of a new party.
"Political parties must be active in their role to rid Africa of despots. We must take it upon ourselves and face the challenges head on," Zuma said.
However, ANC, which was founded on January 8, 1912, is fighting for its survival due to internal power struggles.
Analysts say this is likely to dim its glorious track record as a movement that dramatized the ills of apartheid and mobilized a worldwide movement that kept chipping away at the social and political barriers in South Africa.
"Africa has old problems it has been discussing in vain. We must find new ways of resolving them ... through interaction among parties like ODM and ANC," he said when asked to explain how political parties would survive the stranglehold of the continent's dictators.
"We must discuss them in a different way and find ways to address the pertinent issues. Political parties remain crucial to Africa's democracy. That is why ODM and ANC have started anew relationship," he said.
"We took advantage of the stop-over in Nairobi to look at new frontiers in our cooperation with ODM and reached specific fruitful resolutions on how to make further contacts and better the alliance," Zuma said.
Zuma, who heads the ANC and is set for the presidency after defeating former South African President Thambo Mbeki, arrived in Nairobi on Tuesday in a chartered plane on his way to Lebanon. He was with ANC Treasurer Mathews Phosa. Zuma was Deputy President of South Africa between 1999 and 2005.
Zuma's pro-poor rhetoric resonates with many ordinary South Africans who analysts argue have not benefited from Mbeki's business-friendly policies.
Beset by a raft of court cases ranging from allegations of rape to corruption, Zuma has survived all and appears poised to ascend to power next year.
"Zuma's visit was consultative. We want to draw from ANC's vast and rich history and see how to strengthen ODM. As you know, ANC is the oldest political movement on the African soil," said Odinga.
The Kenyan prime minister said during their talks, they shared experiences and challenges that leaders face in their parties.
"We briefed Zuma and the ANC team on how the coalition government is working. They, too, have a lot to learn from our experience," Odinga said.
Odinga explained that the meeting also discussed the Zimbabwe political crisis, which is deepening by the day.
"We shared views on the Zimbabwe situation and how we can help salvage it," Odinga said.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai also arrived in the country on Wednesday night and is scheduled to meet Odinga.
Zimbabwe is also experimenting with power sharing between Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF with the mediation of the international community.
Source:Xinhua
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