08/10/98 WHAT WAS REALLY SAID ABOUT THABO MBEKI (int'l edition)

WHAT WAS REALLY SAID ABOUT THABO MBEKI (int'l edition)

In ''South Africa: Is Mbeki up to the job?'' (International Outlook, July 20), you quote me as saying that the Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, ''does not have the stature'' to cope with what your correspondent describes as South Africa's ''deepening economic and political crisis.'' This is a gross misrepresentation of my remarks.
Your correspondent did not approach me to discuss Mr. Mbeki: The subject of the discussion was the appointment of our central bank governor designate, Mr. Mboweni. During the course of our discussion, I suggested that one reason for appointing a politician to the post was a perceived need for the incumbent to enjoy credibility with interests within the governing party, whose living standards may be severely affected by actions which the bank may need to take in response to currency fluctuations. In response to a question, I suggested in passing that, while Mr. Mandela had maintained unity in the governing party despite differences on, among other issues, economic policy, Mr. Mbeki had less stature within the African National Congress (a point which might similarly be made about any other successor to Mr. Mandela) and would therefore find this task considerably more difficult.
There is a world of difference between that observation and the judgment that Mr. Mbeki does not have the stature to manage the country's challenges. Such a statement is a severe distortion of my assessment of the likely next President. The quotation as it stands is a misrepresentation of my views--a particularly damaging one, given the importance placed on an accurate judgment of Mr. Mbeki by international business decision-makers. It is, therefore, injurious not only to my professional reputation but also to attempts to convey a considered analysis of likely South African developments.
Steven Friedman
Director, Center for Policy Studies
Johannesburg