Sequel to Long Walk to Freedom - Revision 1 - Chapter 4 Page 1

ordinary one. The role of Deputy-President Thabo Mbeki Because Thabo has spent many years in exile, and had also interacted with comrades inside the country, he had a better knowledge of people best qualified to serve in the Cabinet. I accordingly allowed him to recommend to me the members of the Cabinet. He made sure that all our national groups, as well as the members of the ANC, SACP and COSATU Alliance were adequately represented. For good reasons he left open the position of deputy- president. I approved his recommendation and then briefed in turn first the South African Communist Party (SACP), then the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and last the ANC. I made it clear that, although I would welcome their comments, the final decision would be mine. A brilliant and disciplined comrade, Raymond Suttner, who is now our ambassador in Sweden, reminded me that a previous police conference had decided that the Cabinet should be elected by a national conference. I summarily rejected such a resolution on the simple ground that in such a case, members of the cabinet would be chosen, not on the basis of merit, but because of popularity, or because they were supported by a powerful faction. Each member of the Alliance had strong objections against Some of the proposed candidates, including the candidacy of the late Alfred Nzo, a gifted, loyal and experienced expert on foreign affairs. Also against Derek Hanekom on the ground that it was unwise to give the land port-