Former state president Jacob Zuma has been summoned to appear before a hearing by the African National Congress (ANC) for his endorsement and support for the non-affiliated Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) Party. Zuma requested that his hearing be publicised. Msholozi Zuma – Jacob Zuma’s daughter, who is also the president of the official opposition, the MK Party, was set to appear during his disciplinary hearing. But the hearing has now been postponed. There have been mixed reactions from South Africans who have discussed the impact of the senior ANC member facing the charges of publicly supporting an opponent of the ANC; the MK Party.
The African National Congress postponed its hearing for suspended member Jacob Zuma and also refused his request to make the proceedings public. According to TimeLive Zuma did not attend the physical hearing as he wanted them to be made public. Zuma was set to appear before the ANC after he was suspended. He faces the charge of publicly supporting the MK Party, which he is the president of. Zuma’s representative, the ANC’S former Parliamentary Chief Whip Tony Yengeni, said Zuma preferred a physical meeting. The Party’s spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said Zuma reasoned that the hearings should be public for the sake of transparency and accountability. The ANC postponed the hearing to 23 July and insisted that it would be virtual and private.
Zuma is in the right to argue that the proceedings of the hearing should be made public. The ANC needs to avert any and all accusations of unfairness by having a public hearing. It would serve the ANC too to have the hearing public as Zuma was the former president of the Party. The reason why Zuma sent his daughter to appear before the Hearing Commission is because he wants the Commission to postpone it till, they agree its processes can be made public. But Zuma had known that as soon as he formally endorsed, supported and became a member, as well as run for a different party, the ANC would seek to remove him from whatever remaining position he had in their ranks.
But the ANC has demanded that the MK and Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) mind their manners after being accused of being sell outs. ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has not minced his words against the parties’ leaderships.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has lashed out at Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s leader Jacob Zuma, saying the ANC has not “sold out the people” describing the pair as displaying “ethno-nationalism, backwardness, and inconsistency” in their own “betrayal of the people”. The ANC’s 40% majority means it is leading the Government of National Unity (GNU) which is neither a “sellout” nor a “melting pot” of ideologies, Mbalula said. He lambasted Malema for his remarks that the ANC is a “dying party” and said Zuma had “brought the questionable character” of Judge John Hlope to parliament to “spit in the face” of South Africa” while Zuma’s people has also demanded he be “treated like the Dalai Lama”. Mbalula said the MK was leading a “so-called progressive coalition with others of their ilk-yet all they represent is a pushback against the vision of a united, non-racial, democratic, non-sexist and prosperous” country.
On the one hand you have Zuma and Malema both resentful and skilled at playing on the emotions of ordinary people. On the other there is President Cyril Ramaphosa who has had some success in addressing the corruption and authoritarian grip of his predecessor’s presidency which was of course Zuma. Zuma for his part remains resentful and possibly jealous of Ramaphosa’s small successes. Malema for his part may have hoped to form part of the GNU, but would have wanted the Democratic Alliance out. His compromising desire to have a leading if detrimental role in the GNU could have led to the immediate undoing of the Seventh Administration under Ramaphosa. The GNU although made up of different political parties is more or less cohesive depending on its differences in perspectives.
When Mbablula was referring to “Zuma’s people” he was most likely referring to the MK Party. The MK Party has not offered anything new to the table apart from land-expropriation with out compensation. This is already associated with the EFF.
Mbalula launched his attacks on the party’s opponents while responding to questions during an ANC media briefing on Saturday in which he outlined and welcomed the programme of the 7th administration as reflected in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening of Parliament address this week. Mbalula said the ANC supported the administration’s programme which had adopted the six priorities outlined in the ANC’s manifesto. “The ANC welcomes the immediate priorities identified by the President’s opening of parliament address, which reflected the priorities identified in the ANC 2024 manifesto, to advance the building of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa,” Mbalula said. “The three strategic priorities outlined by the President, respond to the most burning challenges facing our nation and its people.”
The role of members affiliated with a particular party is to remain loyal to the particular party while not seek membership of another. What Zuma has done is betray the ANC right under their noses by joining hands with the unknown force of the MK party. This has made Ramaphosa and ANC loyalists look foolish. Mbalula is right to lash out at Zuma as well as expose Malema for his own bitterness. The coalition government that was formed is supposed to be a leadership based on consensus. All the ideologies and manifestos of the ten parties involved are supposed to be a compromising force. How long it will last remains to be seen. The ANC being the largest power broker in the coalition will charter its course.
Zuma for his part will most likely face expulsion from the party of the ANC.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
