Johnathan Paoli
In a media briefing on Sunday afternoon, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula confirmed that, despite initial reports of former President Jacob Zuma’s disciplinary hearing going ahead virtually on Tuesday, there would be no proceedings until after elections, following security concerns.
Mbalula said the party remained focused on elections and its project of renewal, despite attempts by outside forces to undermine the democratic gains the ruling party has achieved over the last three decades.
The SG said that in line with the ANC’s deep respect for the rule of law, any disciplinary hearings by the National Disciplinary Committee have been suspended, until a safer time in which a security assessment could identify more appropriate security circumstances.
“We are not expecting anything to happen on Tuesday, as instructed by the NDC,” Mbalula said.
The SG said that the Electoral Commission (IEC) has been notified of concerns by the party of other parties’ attempts to undermine both the ANC as well as take advantage of the platform to undermine what has been achieved over the last three decades.
Mbalula reiterated sentiments he expressed earlier this year, in which he said that Zuma had effectively ‘resigned’ and placed himself outside of the party, the moment he acted in contravention of the ANC’s constitution.
“From that point, Zuma is no longer a member of the ANC. The NDC acts alone in dealing with its task, independent from all of us. That is what has led to the disciplinary case. Timing and action has actually been informed by Zuma in terms of his conduct,” he said.
Luthuli House sent the former President a previous notice of a disciplinary hearing by the party on Thursday, for two charges relating to Zuma’s call for the unseating of the ruling party, as well as his active membership of a party not in alliance with the ANC.
Raising concerns of security and safety, the ANC called for a postponement in order to avoid a potentially politically violent situation, reminiscent of the past where IFP members tried to storm the party’s headquarters in 1994.
“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.
However, the ANC leadership seems divided over the disciplinary hearing with former president Thabo Mbeki highlighting the urgent need to conduct the hearing before elections, saying the party had to act in order to bring justice for the violations of the former leader.
“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.
Despite the postponement of Zuma’s disciplinary hearing, the MK party had however, 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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