VOA标准英语10月-Analysts Have High Hopes for New South Africa Par

Early next month a national conference called by dissenting¹ current and former senior members of the ruling African National Congress is likely to give birth to new South African political party. As VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau, the developments have reinvigorated the country's politics.
　

Mosiuoa Lekota at a news conference in Johannesburg, 08 Oct 2008

"Sir, it seems that we are serving today, divorce papers," said former South African Defense² Minister Mosiuoa Lekota.

A year ago it would have been unthinkable for a veteran member of the African National Congress and its struggle against apartheid; a graduate of political incarceration³ on Robben Island; to announce he was serving divorce papers on his movement.

But last week that is exactly what former Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota did. And this week he was joined in public by other senior and mid-level ANC officials. His group have also since held several successful rallies, in same cases drawing thousands of traditional ANC supporters.

Lekota's divorce papers included an intention to hold a national consultative conference on November 2, from which a new political party is expected to emerge. He and his team say the conference is necessary because the current ANC leadership is threatening core principles in the country's constitution and the party's founding document, the Freedom Charter.
　

ANC President Jacob Zuma, left, with former Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, right, in Soweto, South Africa, (26 Jun 2005 file photo)

"We paid the price for these principles in the [Freedom] Charter," Lekota said, " we paid the price in exile, we paid the price underground in this country, we paid the price on Robben Island and other places. Then many of our comrades have died for these principles, it would be a betrayal on our part not to rise to defend the legacy⁴ they left us."

One of the primary issues raised by Lekota is what he said is the party's disrespect for the principles of rule of law and equality before the law. Lekota pointed⁵ to a recent official call by the ANC for a political solution to the corruption⁶ charges against party president Jacob Zuma. The charges are currently in suspension, pending⁷ an appeal by the National Prosecuting⁸ Authority against a court finding, on technical grounds, the decision to prosecute⁹ Zuma was invalid¹⁰.

The Deputy Chairman of the South African Institute for African Affairs, Moeletsi Mbeki, told VOA it is these charges that precipitated¹¹ the current deep divisions in the ANC.

"In fact the current crisis of the ANC, it has been triggered by corruption," he said. "The current president of the ANC, as I say, fighting against his predecessor¹² for taking him to task for corruption - for being involved in corruption."
　

Former Prime Minister of Gauteng Province, Mbazima Shilowa, announces his resignation from the ANC party at a press conference in Johannesburg, 15 Oct, 2008

But the organizers of next month's convention also want to overhaul¹³ South Africa's current electoral system which includes election of the president by parliament. Former provincial¹⁴ premier¹⁵ Mbhazima Shilowa, said this system has left the South African electorate¹⁶ feeling powerless.

"Such a sense of helplessness must surely implore¹⁷ us to discuss whether the time has not come to consider the introduction of constituencies for national and provincial legislatures," he said.

Mbeki said these changes would deepen and strengthen the country's democracy and are important initiatives.

"The South African electoral system does not promote accountability by the government to the people. So they want electoral reform, which is very critical for South Africa," he noted¹⁸.

The ruling party's market friendly policies have resulted in more than a decade of sustained growth and stabilization¹⁹ in the economy. However, they have failed until very recently to start significantly reducing joblessness and deeply rooted poverty which has led to 45 percent of the population living below the poverty index.

This is an issue that has driven the internal politics of the ANC in the past few years. It played a major role in the decision by the leaders of the party's alliance partners, the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), to put their weight behind the election of Jacob Zuma as president of the ANC last year. As a consequence their influence within the ANC has greatly increased.

The dissenting group has yet to articulate its economic policies and some analysts²¹ have warned that unless they come up with innovative²² plans to deal decisively with poverty, the new party will fail. COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi told a local TV broadcaster he has heard nothing from them that says they are ready to tackle poverty.

"If they were going to talk to us about a new developmental path, a new economic strategy that is going to help us create decent work at a mass scale; new policies that are going to attack poverty and deal with the growing inequalities, maybe we will be there in the [national consultative] convention," he said.

Analyst²⁰ Mbeki said he doesn't think the current leadership of the ANC is ready to deliver those policies either.

"But after 15 years I think [the ANC has] had the opportunity to sort out their problems and giving them another 15 years I doubt if [the voters] will be able to - because as you know they keep saying that they are continuing with the policies that have given us 45 percent poverty levels," Mbeki said.

Leaders of the ANC and its alliance partners have gone on the attack against the dissenters²³ often using insulting and loaded language. Mbeki said the breakaway group has sent a shiver of fear down the spine²⁴ of the ruling party.

"Absolutely if it hadn't sent a shiver down their spine they wouldn't be reacting in these violent - in language terms - ways, they are running smear²⁵ campaigns against the individuals concerned and as you say insulting the people. So they are terrified," he said.

Next month's convention is already generating widespread interest - with many South Africans talking about little else. Analyst Mbeki said he thinks attendance will be high. He added the group behind it have the ability and drive to make a new party succeed over the long term.

1 dissenting   

adj.不同意的

参考例句：

• He can't tolerate dissenting views. 他不能容纳不同意见。
• A dissenting opinion came from the aunt . 姑妈却提出不赞同的意见。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

8 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

9 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

10 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

11 precipitated   

v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀

参考例句：

• His resignation precipitated a leadership crisis. 他的辞职立即引发了领导层的危机。
• He lost his footing and was precipitated to the ground. 他失足摔倒在地上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

13 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

14 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

15 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

16 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

17 implore   

vt.乞求，恳求，哀求

参考例句：

• I implore you to write. At least tell me you're alive.请给我音讯，让我知道你还活着。
• Please implore someone else's help in a crisis.危险时请向别人求助。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

20 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

21 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

22 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

23 dissenters   

n.持异议者，持不同意见者( dissenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He attacked the indulgence shown to religious dissenters. 他抨击对宗教上持不同政见者表现出的宽容。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• (The dissenters would have allowed even more leeway to the Secretary.) （持异议者还会给行政长官留有更多的余地。） 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

24 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

25 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。