ANC national disciplinary committee expels Carl Niehaus
Niehaus faced six charges – most of which related to comments he made in defence of his long-time ally – former president Jacob Zuma
ANC spokesman Carl Niehaus during a press briefing at the party's headquarters in Johannesburg. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA
JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC)’s national disciplinary committee (NDC) on Monday expelled former Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Veteran’s Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus.
A report signed by the NDC chairperson Ralph Mgijimi dated 12 December – which Eyewitness News has seen – details the various transgressions and witnesses who testified for and against him.
Niehaus faced six charges – most of which related to comments he made in defence of his long-time ally – former president Jacob Zuma
The ANC’s national spokesperson Pule Mabe confirmed the development.
“We have received the findings from the National Disciplinary Committee and their decision to expel Carl Niehaus. We are studying that and will be issuing a statement.”
Niehaus told Eyewitness News he’s yet to receive the letter of his expulsion, saying he will move to appeal the matter immediately
“The NDC did not even have the decency to send a letter to me. This was a predetermined decision. The hearings that I was subjected to was an utter farce and this was clearly a kangaroo court that I had been subjected to.”
His expulsion comes four days before the party’s 55th national conference dubbed Nasrec 2 - which will take place from 16 - 20 December 2022.
Niehaus has set the cat among the pigeons within the ANC on several occasions as he is an overt detractor of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa - who hopes for a second term at the helm of the governing party.
Ramaphosa is facing off with former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize in the upcoming leadership election.
Staunch Zuma supporter, Niehaus has been public about his dislike of the incumbent and has on many occasions taken to social media platforms to express his disapproval of Ramaphosa.
Donning ANC regalia, Niehaus is captured holding a placard that reads "Ramaphosa must go".
In June, the Zuma loyalist was vindicated after he was arrested in the KwaZulu-Natal town of Estcourt while he was interviewed on live TV.
He was charged with convening an illegal gathering outside Estcourt prison in support of Zuma who was jailed for contempt of a Constitutional Court order that forced him to testify before the state capture commission – which the former statesman instituted shortly before he left office.