ROAD TO 2024 ELECTIONS
ANC National Disciplinary Committee summons Zuma over MK party support
Former president Jacob Zuma is due to appear before the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday after being suspended by the party for joining the uMkhonto Wesizwe party late last year.
The ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), chaired by former Public Service Commission chairperson Ralph Mgijima, has requested former president Jacob Zuma to appear for his disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, 7 May at Luthuli House, the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg.
According to a letter sent to Zuma by the ANC’s chief national presenter, Uriel Abrahamse, the former party leader faces two charges.
The first is for contravening rule 25.17.17.4 of the ANC’s constitution, which states that he acted “on behalf of or in collaboration with a political organisation or party other than an organisation or party in the alliance of the ANC in a manner contrary to the aims, policies and objectives of the ANC”.
The second charge is that Zuma contravened rule 25.17.13 for “joining or supporting a political organisation or party other than an organisation in alliance with the ANC, in a manner contrary to the aims, objectives and policy of the ANC”.
The letter highlights Zuma’s announcement on 16 December that he would campaign for the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party. Zuma at the time made it clear that while he would not campaign for “Ramaphosa’s ANC” he would remain a member of the party.
The letter states that Zuma contravened the party’s rules by appearing on the parliamentary list of the MK party, which is not affiliated with the ANC.
MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed to EWN that Zuma would attend the hearing, adding that the former president has “nothing to hide”.
Members of the party are expected to support Zuma by gathering outside the ANC’s headquarters.
Members of the ANC NDC
The ANC’s NDC has eight members. Two are from the National Executive Committee — Faith Muthambi and Nocawe Mafu. The others are Thandi Orleyn, Enver Surty, Kerensa Millard, Robinson Ramaite and Vusi Pikoli.
Muthambi had a close relationship with Zuma and served in various ministries during his tenure.
Pikoli is a former National Director of Public Prosecutions and notably reinstated corruption charges against Zuma in 2005.
Surty was the deputy minister of basic education from 2009 to 2019.
Orleyn, a lawyer, is a founder, director and shareholder of Peotona Group Holdings, an investment company, together with ANC deputy Secretary-General under Nelson Mandela Cheryl Carolus, Wendy Lucas-Bull and the late Dolly Mokgatle.
Ramaite is a high-profile businessman known to be close to ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile. His companies have benefited from Gauteng government contracts.
Millard was head of legal services at the former Intelligence Ministry during Thabo Mbeki’s tenure as president.
NDC procedures
According to the ANC constitution, Zuma may be represented by a member in good standing at the hearing.
The NDC has the jurisdiction to expel from the ANC any members they believe are in contravention of rule 25 of the party’s constitution.
“Any member found guilty of the misconduct referred to in Rule 25.5 (m) and (n), shall be ineligible to be or remain a member, and shall be expelled from the organisation,” it reads.
The NDC may impose penalties or sanctions for “proven violations of the constitution, other relevant instruments, principles, norms, policies and decisions of the ANC, [which] will include reprimand, payment of compensation and/or the performance of useful tasks, remedial action, and suspension of membership or expulsion from the ANC, and in the case of a public representative also the removal from any list or instrument which entitles such person to represent the ANC at any level of government”.
The committee also has the power to suspend the imposition of any penalties or sanctions, with or without certain conditions, for a set period.
If expelled or sanctioned, Zuma will have up to 14 days to contest the findings with the party’s National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal.
How it all began
There has been ongoing turmoil between the ANC and Zuma since he ditched the ANC for the MK party.
While announcing his support for the MK party, Zuma accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of being an agent of “white monopoly capital” and of being against the progress of black professionals and intellectuals.
“I cannot, and will not, campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa,” he said.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Elections 2024
In January, the ANC suspended Zuma for “actively impugning the integrity of the ANC” by campaigning to dislodge the organisation from power.
At the time, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the NEC had invoked rule 25.60 of the party’s constitution to suspend Zuma. He said the rule did not allow Zuma the opportunity to respond to the decision as it was final.
Mbalula said that the decision was unanimous and that it had not been a “contentious issue” as even those once aligned with Zuma agreed that he had crossed the line.
The ANC has since taken to the courts to challenge the registration of the MK party. The party also challenged MK’s use of the name of its disbanded military wing, but was unsuccessful in both cases.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri on Thursday confirmed the party had notified Zuma of his upcoming disciplinary hearing. She said the hearing would be conducted with transparency and Zuma would be allowed to present his case.
“This critical step underscores the ANC’s dedication to its constitutional principles,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She said the ANC holds “all members, regardless of their position, to the same standards of conduct” and that disciplinary actions contributed to the party’s renewal process.
“Our party’s strength lies in its unity, shared vision, and unwavering commitment to the people. No organisation is immune to challenges, and when faced with internal matters, we act decisively,” she said. DM
I think the best option for him is to tender his resignation, I think campaigning for another party is automatic declaration that his is no longer a member. He can rejoin the ANC when he want to. Well the present ANC is managed from somewhere not Luthuli House. Those who follow DA may vote for ANC and those who follow ANC of yesterday should look somewhere, and MK might be here at right time and place.
Why would any honest person look to the MK?
I don’t think any honest person is!
I have run out of words to express my feelings about the state of SA both politically and otherwise. I am no hero like Madiba or Tambo, I am a black boy from township. I don’t have any potential to do something for our country, as our country is plagued by a lack of exemplary leadership. I would like to be something or do something for our country but I am not handsome and tall like Madiba and I am not intelligent like Tambo. I can wax lyrical about the state of our country in terms of leadership capabilities and all the rest of it, but I am not handsome. I have a huge cranium so ordinary citizens usually follow handsome leaders, they will not follow me because I am not handsome, what then is leadership. Why do we not produce leaders like Kuan Yew of Singapore. A man who singlehandedly built Singapore, with one hand, he didn’t use his left hand, he only used his right hand to build his country. His left hand was safely tucked in his left pocket as he went about building Singapore. At least I can say our premier in Gauteng is the closest visionary leader we can say we have as a country. It is highly advisable on the part of ANC to propel Pantaza to the leadership of the national ANC so that his visionary qualities can be put to good use. I therefore, after a long meandering nton nton I just put you in, I command you African National Congress to propel Panyaza to the national leadership with immediate effect, without any interlude whatsoever. I am your Oracle of Omaha
For someone that has “run out of words” you do seem to have used many of them. Worse, perhaps, is the word salad you have offered is just barely intelligible. I’ve never used ChatGPT but your text makes me think of the crazier things I’ve seen when people make it spew gibberish.
Haha! Popcorn!
Stupid
The ANC is simply providing platform and coverage to the former prisoner. He could never buy this PR.
It might seem like that Johan but the ANC that we know will have a rule of firing Zuma even in absentia.
I am talking about the ANC who participated in the liberation of the rainbow population.
The rules have not changed on paper.
Corruption makes people behave like raving lunatics because for them it’s truly a stab wound in the back.
They protected Zuma even against the policies of the ANC, if new blood took over the ANC they will run everything smoothly without amending any policy.
It’s time for the DA/EFF to ditch the formal shoes to running tekkies the pace is picking up.
May the best man win.
He won’t pitch to the disciplinary hearing. He wants to take SA back to the age of Shaka – tribal society where the word of the chief is law. And no prizes for guessing who it is who wants to be Shaka II. The ANC is irredeemably corrupt, and is too far gone to ever be able to “run things smoothly”. If the ANC had sat down in 1994 to plan the collapse of SA Inc within 30 years they could not have done a better job than what has transpired over that period. Lunatics running the asylum some might say.
A bunch of crooks telling an even bigger crook not to be so crooked. It would be funny if it wasn’t so irredeemably pathetic.
Oblige him, just fire him.
Because that is exactly what he wants you to do so that he can start with his merrygoround all over again.
Actually that is what he is after.
To stay out of jail and to tarnish the name of president Ramaphosa.
One would advice Mbalula as follows:
1. Do not mobilise the ANC members to come and compete with the MK Party mob on that day.
2. Do not organise a Post-hearing mini-rally to counter that of the MK Party(they’ll definitely organise one as they always do).
3. Do not talk about the merits and/or demerits of an ongoing DC hearing in press briefings, even if the media ask you about it and even if Zuma and his people are publicly talking about it and deliberately misrepresenting the facts, do not respond.
My advice to Mbalula would be to shut up permanently and stop lying every time he opens his mouth, but there you go.
I am sure Fokall Mbalula is behind this idiotic move. This is simply giving Zuma PR and an opportunity to grandstand as the victim. And when has the ANC disciplinary comnmittee ever done anything? It has no teeth and no legal standing. Cyril should have had the balls to cut him loose a long time ago.
Mbalula is a useful idiot for the opposition. Especially when he tells the truth. He is such a big own goal scorer he could qualify for a Bafana Bafana striker.
Mbalula is a useful idiot for the opposition. Especially when he tells the truth. He is such a big own goal scorer he could qualify for a Bafana Bafana striker.
A free gift of publicity by ANC to MK.
In all due respects to the author, but why is this even significant to write an article on?
It goes without saying that a lot of resources was wasted on this (words fail me). He dances (and sings) to the beat of his own drum. Laws, rules and policies, clearly, has not stopped the King of Fools. He is the Master of Intimidation. When called out: Master of Denial. And Supreme Victim.
Nothing can stop this one man avalanche of destruction. Does the Ayencee think they can rein him in? Farcical, is the only word that comes to mind, in this particular instance.
He was trained by the Soviets in intelligence, counterintelligence…all things cloak and dagger. It’s ingrained in his DNA. He showed South Africa in July 2021 he has the power to bring a province to its knees. It certainly would not have come as a surprise if it happens again, should the IEC or the Constitutional Court have called MK and his participation null and void.
Absolute waste of time . Yawn…..😒
This is so pointless and irrelevant. Whether Zuma is expelled from the ANC or not, he now represents MK. So this seems like nothing more than a PR stunt by the ANC.
R50 he doesn’t pitch.
Oh no, he absolutely will pitch. Totally free publicity and electioneering space for him and his party. Sponsored by the ANC.
He loves the mic. He definitely will appear just for the love it.
Zuma ought not to show up for this alleged disciplinary hearing. Time will be wasted on it. Resigning is the only course of action he should think about. Since he didn’t reply to the earlier 15-day suspension, how come the ANC believes he will show up for the hearing? The ANC needs to stop being cowardly and remove him, just like they did with Ace and Malema, who were soft targets.
He will show. Big PR stunt for him as the victim. But I agree, Cyril should have kicked hom out a long time ago. Only the ANC are going to lose here.
So what anyone can leave one party for another, making a huge circus about nothing and why is it necessary for the media to cover this at all ?
I wonder if is in good enough health to get to the hearing? We all know how close to death he has been so many times.
Only now !!! Another ANC “cock up” ???? They cannot claim to have been unaware of what JZ was doing, said he was doing …and did it . So just days before 29 May…this charade will play out. Is it going to change things ?? Your guess is as good as the next guy . Can we call this a ” camaraderie of errors… ???
The utter stupidity of the ANC in launching this charade is simply another manifestation of a party populated with clowns. Kick Zuma out and prepare for the possible doom facing the ANC on May 29th. Zuma is more than capable of digging his own grave as we are witnessing in his absolute lack of party cohesion and leadership. He will revel in this opportunity to get publicity without having to pay for it. Interesting aspect is that Zuma and Ramaphosa are probably both being advised by their big boss Vlad Putin. After all, if he’s good enough to control Donald Trump (which he does), the turkeys in SA will be simply be pre-election snacks.
Of course he’ll pitch up for the ‘hearing’. Fantastic free photo opportunity with his supporters in front of the ANC building. He’ll be the victim that’s being pursued by third forces. How silly of the ANC.
Zuma has tormented the ANC for the longest time like bull dragging a rag hither and tither.
The trainer must now show his tempering skills to bring sanity and order to the house.
Who cares? Zuma didn’t listen to the courts. And Magashule gave the NEC the runaround for years while the party dog chased its tail. So, Zuma is definitely going to thumb his nose at the incompetent ANC. The ANC is giving him airtime and should rather ignore him and his party.
This is the theatre of the absurd! ANC should have immediately charged him when he declared his allegiance to MK. Instead they sat on their hands. Now it is urgent? 10 Trillian Zim dollar bet Zuma will delay and obfuscate thus gaining free publicity and mileage while attacking Rama do nothing!
A little conspiracy theory.
CR and his anc are battling at to hold onto 50% of the vote, which also equals access to money. JZ will get fired from the anc and we’ll have July 2021 all over again – maybe worse. Security forces will be unable to quell the uprising and the IEC, at the behest of the anc, will postpone the elections due to the unrest and a possible state of emergency.
Sounds unreal?? Maybe not – look what Donald did in Washington 3+ years ago – and that is a well protected city.
I’ll be watching for entertainment. JZ is like Messi, he will run rings around whoever he takes on. Unlike Mesi, JZ is a master of the dark arts of politics.
What a waste of time – The second charge is that Zuma contravened rule 25.17.13 for “joining or supporting a political organisation or party other than an organisation in alliance with the ANC, in a manner contrary to the aims, objectives and policy of the ANC”.- are the adjectives to steal as much as possible a JZ failed in this endeavour – or take too much and did not leave enough for the rest following in the trough feeding scheme
So they’ve put it off for this long, but somehow the ANC thinks the ideal time is now? Is it now the last resort because the objections to his candidacy did not stick? Or is it an election campaign gimmick?
Either way, I don’t believe it will give the ANC the PR boost they are hoping for; quite the opposite, in fact.
Can Ramaphosa afford to close his eyes. I wouldn’t. In 2005 Mbeki fires Zuma from cabinet on corruption related allegations. Under pressure from alliance partners, Motlhante throws Zuma a life line and asked him not to resign from party deputy presidency. In 2007, the alliance of Mantashe, Nzimande, Malema, Vavi, sees Zuma as the best thing since sliced bread and tell the world they are prepared to kill for him. They remove Mbeki as country leader. Elevate him and Motlhante the highest offices. Soon after, Motlhante sees Zuma exactly for what he is and challenges him at the next party electoral conference in 2012, he loses against the perpetual victim, Zuma and the salivating Ramaphosa is brought in as the deputy. Zuma now rejuvenated into second term at the top shows everyone, in and outside his party, his true colours. Ramaphosa’s first assignment is to fire Malema and Vavi, thereafter he falls into a deep sleep in the midst of all Zuma’s shenanigans in government, only to wake up to realize 9 years have actually been wasted. During this 9 years, Malema, Nzimande and Vavi offer their sincere apologies to Mbeki and, together with Mantashe, ago out for Zuma’s blood and they get it. Can Ramaphosa afford to close his eyes now, I wouldn’t
Right! So, this is the same ANC “Disciplinary Committee” which has watched its senior members plunder the country with absolutely ZERO consequence! This is the stuff of tragic comedy but sadly, the World out there sees South Africa as a catastrophic circus lead by a unique political party. Boy oh boy….the madness never ends!
As Metallica sang back in the day… “Master of puppets, I’m pulling your strings”
It’s a big mistake that the ANC did not expell Zuma and talked about how he “automatically expelled himself”. He did not expell himself and made it clear that he is still an ANC member. Both the Masses who follow him within the ANC and MK party still view him as the member of the ANC. Taking into account MK is indeed the military wing of the ANC, so not only him but all other MK followers are still ANC members. If ANC does not expell him I’m certain and very sure his supporters with will nomate him for a position within the ANC and argue that he is still a member of ANC. ANC made a mistake by not registering MK under ANC assuming that common sense that MK belongs to ANC. Now he are making another mistake but assuming that everyone understand that he expelled himself. They are very wrong.
What? I thought this geriatric dinosaur had already been expelled from the ANC.
He is a genuine Terminator who carries on regardless. It’s a political roadshow equivalent only to the circuses in N Korea and Russia.
Everything the ANC does is six months too late.
6 months to 25 years late, I think this should read.
I see no reason this great leader can not campaign for two parties, the cANCer and Umkunto Wesiezebaasie are one and the same group of Twerpnocrats who will lead this beloved shytehole to further glory
Well, this qualifies as the joke of the century! What exactly is the ANC Integrity Committee? Of course, the same ” Committee ” that should have, would have, might have called to account their staggering number of “members” implicated in industrial scale theft and corruption!But, of course, as is well known they elected to do NOTHING! So, the joke mutates; now they want to get the biggest implicated corruptor EVER to “appear” before them? Einstein summed our ANC “leaders” up perfectly…..