In South Africa, dissident members of the African National Congress have announced plans to set up a rival party called the South African Democratic Congress. The new party plans to challenge the ANC, which has dominated South African politics since the end of the apartheid in 1994. The split comes less than two months after the ANC party leadership forced President Thabo Mbeki to resign. One of the most prominent dissident members is Mosiuoa Lekota, South Africa’s former defense minister.

Mosiuoa Lekota: “We have decided that regardless of the cost to ourselves as individuals and true our conscience as patriots, we are ready and we will stand up and fight as messengers and representatives of the period of hope and for a deeper democracy, as well as for a sustained betterment of the lives of our people, the people of South Africa.”

ANC president Jacob Zuma has condemned ANC members who were joining the dissident party.

Jacob Zuma: “Members of the ANC who had hopes and wishes that other leaders should be elected, and they never succeeded, are not genuine members. Genuine members are the ones that are still here, and they never went anywhere. There is no problem. We have people with different views. That is why I am saying that this new marriage means we need to be cautious, because they were with us and differing with the opposition Democratic Alliance, and now, today, they are in agreement with the DA 100 percent.”