By Simon Nare
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has read party members the riot act for publicly criticising the organisation and its leaders in the public and on social media.
Addressing journalists on the state of readiness for the January 8 celebrations at Khayelitsha in Cape Town, Mbalula said this tendency would no longer be tolerated, and the party would make an example out of ANC veteran Tony Yengeni for his statements on social media.
Also, to be charged, would be another veteran and former deputy minister Obed Bapela, for violating the party’s policies by visiting Morocco and partaking in activities in the country.
Mbalula described Yengeni as ill-disciplined and a political Casanova whom he said always publicly liked and supported former president Jacob Zuma’s MK Party. He recently accused the ANC of being detached from the masses.
Mbalula said there were many other members who went on social media when they were drunk and made unsavoury statements about the party, and they too would be dealt with.
He said these included some who publicly said they were not cowards.
This could be directed at Gauteng finance and economic development MEC Lebogang Maile. He recently said on social media that they were not cowards as rumours swirled that the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committees would be disbanded due to poor performance in the elections.
Mbalula said these concerns would not be discussed at the special National Executive Committee. The meeting’s only agenda was the January 8 statement, which traditionally set the tone for the party’s programme for the year.
“Tony Yengeni is nothing but a political Casanova and his spewing vagrant political views and views that are embraced by a few malcontents who are opposed to the ANC. He will be charged. I have informed him through SMS and I called him.
“We will bring him before the disciplinary process of the ANC so that he explains himself in terms of his membership of the ANC.
“The discipline in the ANC is important. I have seen other people on Twitter everyday when they have taken something at 2am. Leaders of the ANC tweeting things that brings the ANC into disrepute. They too will be attended very soon,” he vowed.
Mbalula said there was nothing wrong with members going on public platforms to raise views and ideas, but attacking the organisation and casting aspersions on the leadership of the ANC would not going be tolerated.
On January 8 readiness, Mbalula said the NEC had insisted on holding the celebrations at Khayelitsha, which had the biggest constituency in the province.
It would also help the party leadership reconnect with the members.
Mbalula confirmed that the celebrations would not be held inside the stadium, but rather in an open field as the stadium had disaster management challenges, which he did not share with the media.
He added that the open field could only accommodate 22,000 people and the ANC was not under any obligation to go and fill-up bigger stadiums to prove a point to its critics.
He said this was not the first time that the party had delivered the January 8 statement in a field. Former president Thabo Mbeki had done so in Umtata in the Eastern Cape.
The secretary general also used the briefing to address reports that the party was not paying for members to come to the celebrations, saying in fact the party did not want people outside Western Cape coming to the event.
He said the ANC would ferry people in the surrounding areas and those from other provinces should stay away.
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