Political analysts and some uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) members have asserted that the ANC, leader of the Government of National Unity (GNU), has shown its weakness after former president Jacob Zuma’s Disciplinary Committee hearing hit another stall on Tuesday.
Zuma was to appear before the party’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) on Tuesday after a postponement last week.
Zuma has been refusing to meet the NDC virtually, citing network problems at his homestead of Nkandla. His long-time comrade, Tony Yengeni, at the DC has instead represented him.
In early May, prior to the general elections, Zuma had been given notice to appear before the ANC’s disciplinary committee at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters to face charges including contravening the party’s constitution for collaborating with another party.
The ANC, through its secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, later postponed the hearing to last week which was also moved to Tuesday.
Zuma had announced on December 16 that he would be campaigning for the newly formed MKP, of which he is president, instead of the ANC. However, he claimed he was still an ANC member, which prompted the party to charge Zuma instead of outright expelling him.
Political analyst Dr Sysman Motloung, speaking on live television, said the ANC seemed not to want to take a stand against Zuma after all the delays.
“The ANC after elections has been wounded by Zuma and still they are not acting against him. This shows a political party that has been held in ransom by an individual who is a member of the party. That shows the weakness of the party if it does not act on him,” he said.
Motloung added that Zuma wanted to create an environment where people could make a statement to the political party (ANC).
“It’s a matter of saying that if it is made public. He would want the public to know the claims that have been made by the ANC against him and he wants to use this opportunity to declare certain things that would be unsettling or shocking to the public … it would be certain things that the ANC would not want to be made public,” he said.
“The ANC should make an absentee statement to expel him. It Is also tradition in the courts that when one doesn’t appear when summoned, they would make declarations in his absence … The ANC can continue with the hearings without him. The implications are that if he does not continue with it, then it says to the public that the ANC is indecisive about this.
“Zuma is writing a new legacy for himself after he formed a new party and toppled the ANC out of power. He is writing a new legacy and the ANC is letting him.”
On Tuesday, the MKP noted in a statement that the ANC had denied Zuma to present himself in what they named the DC, a Kangaroo court.
“The MKP takes note that the ANC of Ramaphosa has denied president Jacob Zuma an opportunity to present himself in its Kangaroo court at its head office at Luthuli House. Because of this, all MKP structures and members are required to suspend the planned appearance with Ubaba at Luthuli House since he won’t be there.”
The party said it was planning to march together in defence of Zuma, against the planned “political onslaught by counter-revolutionary and Neo-liberal forces”.
Despite this, on Tuesday morning MKP members picketed outside Luthuli House. However, they were removed, and they moved to Beyers Naude Park near Luthuli House.
Last week, The Star reported that Zuma has requested the NDC to grant him a public hearing during his case against the party.
Despite numerous calls to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, she did not respond.
The Star