A BREAKAWAY faction of the ruling African National Congress has selected a Methodist bishop as its candidate for the presidential election in April as the campaign focuses on morality and the corruption allegations engulfing South Africa's governing party and its leader, Jacob Zuma.
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The Congress of the People (Cope) chose Bishop Mvume Dandala as its presidential contender in place of the man who was previously favoured for the nomination, Mosiuoa Lekota, a former defence minister in the cabinet of the ousted president, Thabo Mbeki.
Mr Lekota, who launched Cope late last year, is said to be angered at being bypassed, but other party figures believe that its best chance of winning votes from the ANC is to avoid a candidate tainted by recent infighting within the ruling party.
Cope is unlikely to defeat Mr Zuma's thrust for the presidency but it could eat into the ANC's large majority in Parliament, possibly even wipe it out.
Bishop Dandala, 57, the general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, can be expected to draw support from the large number of deeply religious voters as well as people disillusioned by the ANC's choice of Mr Zuma as its presidential candidate.
Mr Zuma faces trial on bribery charges relating to a multibillion-dollar weapons deal.
Guardian News & Media
