Still popular . . . A reader says the furore on deputy president, Jacob Zuma, has not shaken and will not shake the ANC in any practical way when the ANC declared "the people shall govern", it did not mean the ANC shall govern.

What it meant was everybody would have a meaningful say in the governance of this country.

However, it did not mean it would accept irresponsible contributions to governance.

The Rev Meshoe, for example, misled the public about the issue of public holidays a few weeks ago.

The president condemned this type of behaviour.

Meshoe's comments were false and irreligious and could not be condoned.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa and others were calling for President Thabo Mbeki to say something about the current issue relating to the deputy president.

Surely, they did not miss Mbeki's statement at an ANC conference last year that the Scorpions would have to do their job, regardless of who was affected.

I don't know what would suddenly change the president's thoughts on the matter now.

I don't know what else Holomisa wanted the president to say.

But I cannot be blamed for thinking he wanted the president to say anything, so he could deliberately misinterpret, misquote, misinform and accuse the president of interfering with the independence of the investigations.

Now the president has reiterated what everybody, including Holomisa and the Scorpions, has been saying, namely that the investigations must proceed as speedily as possible.

Holomisa must be disappointed because the president did not say anything he could possibly misinterpret.

Personally, I think Holomisa would have made a good leader had he not misled himself.

He risks losing the respect of members of his party, who are more realistic about South Africa than he is and sympathetic to the ANC. They have not forgotten what the ANC stands for.

The question of the deputy president has not shaken and will not shake the ANC in any practical way.

The ANC is more united than ever. Zuma's story will only bring the ANC closer together.

Thank you, Comrade Mbeki, for your unbiased and disciplined leadership style.

Now we see a very organised movement with popular leaders.

The president has not allowed the ANC's tradition of internal (not media) debates and majority decisions to be eroded by individual public outbursts, no matter how convinced these individuals were of the validity of their views.

It was not uncommon to witness a situation where some of the ANC's past leaders would visit only informal settlements but not visit areas the government had developed .

These situations even attracted accolades from the ANC's worst opponents, celebrated as "independents".

I know Mbeki will once more handle Zuma's issue with the maturity, sensitivity and sensibility he is known for.

In fact, he does not need to bother with stupid and sensational demands.

With acknowledgements to Sisa Mlikana and the City Press.