- The ANC’s 55th national elective conference is off to a slow start, with delays in the registration of delegates.
- The conference also saw its first bit of drama when former president Jacob Zuma instituted a private prosecution against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- The Presidency issued a statement in which Ramaphosa rejected Zuma’s move with the “utmost contempt”.
Up until the ANC conference elects new leaders, President Cyril Ramaphosa remains in his position as party leader.
This is according to party spokesperson Pule Mabe following former president Jacob Zuma’s latest antics.
On Friday, Mabe briefed journalists on the delays at the ANC’s 55th national elective conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
“The president remains in his position, and he will deliver the political report. The Presidency has responded to that matter,” Mabe said.
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On Thursday evening, the JG Zuma Foundation announced that its patron, Zuma, had instituted a private prosecution against Ramaphosa.
Zuma accused Ramaphosa of “being [an] accessory after the fact to crimes committed by among others Adv Downer” in alleged breaches of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act.
Advocate Billy Downer is prosecuting Zuma on behalf of the State for arms deal-related corruption.
Zuma is seeking to privately prosecute Downer and News24 specialist legal writer Karyn Maughan for allegedly violating the NPA Act through the sharing of court documents – filed by Zuma’s lawyers and the State – that contained a sick note from the former president’s military doctor.
The Presidency issued a statement in which Ramaphosa rejected Zuma’s move against him with the “utmost contempt” and characterised it as an “abuse of legal process” and a “perversion” of the private prosecution provision.
Meanwhile, Mabe also briefed journalists on the five ANC MPs who defied a party instruction when they voted in favour of the adoption of the Phala Phala report in Parliament.
ANC MPs were instructed not to adopt the report, but minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and four other MPs voted in favour of adoption.
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ANC MP Mervyn Dirks was confident a brewing rebellion could see up to 42 ANC MPs vote in favour of a motion to institute an impeachment inquiry into Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala debacle.
Dlamini-Zuma was the first of five ANC MPs who publicly defied the party’s instruction to vote against the impeachment process that flowed from an independent panel’s report on the president’s Phala Phala dealings. She was followed by Dirks, Tandi Mahambehlala, Supra Mahumapelo and Mosebenzi Zwane.
According to Mabe, MPs who voted for the adoption of the Phala Phala report in Parliament will be dealt with by the new national executive committee (NEC).
“Having regard to the unity of the organisation, we will empower the incoming NEC to pay attention to what should have happened. They will deal with that,” he said.
“The NEC, in its deliberations, concluded that following the party line is important for the unity of the ANC. This long-standing culture has not changed,” he said.
Mabe said not toeing the party line had the potential to erode discipline.
“It also has an impact on councillors and MPLs. We don’t want them to do the same thing,” he said.
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