Johnathan Paoli
After what seemed to be disagreements on whether former President Jacob Zuma’s disciplinary hearing should be held before or after the 29 May National General Elections, the ANC has finally decided to go virtual.
In an amended notice released late Saturday afternoon, the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) Administrator Rachmat Lamera, called for a virtual hearing saying the ANC is trying to avert violence.
The ANC said it was trying to avoid a possible second Shell House incident of 1994, in which Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) members stormed the previous ANC headquarters in Johannesburg, resulting in the ANC opening fire and killing 19 people.
“As a responsible organisation, the ANC does not want a recurrence of the incident on 28 March 1994 when members of another political party stormed the then ANC headquarters at Shell House resulting in loss of life, extensive destruction of property and the declaration of a state of emergency in eleven magisterial district in the East Rand and the whole of the KwaZulu-Natal province. Such a situation will be totally unwarranted on the eve of a General Election,” the statement read.
The ANC also said the date of 7 May was set at the request of Zuma, following his inability to attend the previous date set for 25 April, and further criticised the former President’s decision to abstain from the pre-hearing conference which was scheduled for 9 April, without providing a reason for his absence.
Lamera said as the disciplinary hearing has drawn widespread public interest, the NDC Chairperson would convey the information to the media in the public interest and to allay public fears.
Earlier on Saturday ANC Secretary-General Fikile April Mbalula had called for a postponement of the disciplinary hearing, including the meeting set up to formally expel former President Jacob Zuma from the party because of security concerns.
The decision to postpone the hearing came after Zuma and his MK party had announced that he will attend the hearing next week Tuesday and called upon his supporters to gather at Luthuli House.
In a letter released on Saturday, Mbalula raised concerns over a security assessment of large crowds gathering outside of the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters in support of Zuma, warning of potential violence.
The statement said the “ANC National Officials have decided that such activities should be held in abeyance until after the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, this includes the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) hearing of JG Zuma”.
The ANC NDC had told Zuma that he faces two charges of contravening the party constitution, by expressing support for another party, and becoming a member of another party, against the ANC.
Former ANC leaders including Mathews Phosa and Thabo Mbeki have strongly criticised Zuma for turning his back against the party and forming his own MK party during their campaigns.
Phosa criticised what he called Zuma’s betrayal of the ruling party that he was part of for so long.
“You cannot be a president of a movement for ten years then turn your back against it. What are you trying to say? What message are you sending to young people? That you were not serious when you became president of the country, when people said you must unite the ANC, because now you are dividing it,” Phosa said.
While former President Thabo Mbeki called on Zuma’s hearing not to be postponed and said the party had to act because Zuma had ‘grossly’ violated the constitution of the party.
“You can’t postpone it until after the elections, it would be wrong. The right thing to do to any person, a very senior person like him – former president of the ANC who had done something which is grossly in violation of the constitution, the ANC must act,” Mbeki said.
While the ANC is still deciding on whether to hold the disciplinary hearing on or before the 29 May elections, the MK party has announced that it would nonetheless gather at Luthuli House on Tuesday, with party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela saying the party would come and support the former president.
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