Ibbo Mandaza OR Tambo School of Leadership lecture...

Ibbo Mandaza OR Tambo School of Leadership lecture called off

Zim Now Writer

A public lecture scheduled for tomorrow at the OR Tambo School of Leadership in South Africa, which was set to be delivered by Zimbabwe academic and Sapes Trust founder Ibbo Mandaza, has been called off.

In a letter addressed to the institution’s principal David Masondo, African National Congress Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the lecture, titled “State of Democracy in the Sadc region: A Reflection on the National Elections of Zimbabwe”, was domestically and internationally linked to the South African ruling party, since it was billed as a collaborative effort between the school and the ANC Johannesburg Region.

“This constitutes an ANC platform.

“At the moment, the leadership of the ANC is engaged in a number of delicate engagements regarding the situation in Zimbabwe. In this context, a public lecture, at this time, on what is clearly an ANC platform, would complicate these initiatives.

“It is in this context that we have requested that the lecture should not proceed on Thursday, 7 September 2023,” wrote Mbalula in the letter.

The ANC secretary-general, however added that the ANC was open to discussions on the possibility of having the lecture “in a different format, and on a different platform”.

Mbalula also said the OR Tambo School of Leadership’s proud tradition of promoting vigorous debate within the ranks of the ANC must be encouraged, adding that the party respected the school’s autonomy.

Mbalula attended President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration at the National Sports Stadium on Monday, along with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following the August 23-24 Harmonised Elections, whose results the Nelson Chamisa-led opposition Citizens Coalition for Change is disputing.