ANC NEC's decision to suspend Jacob Zuma was unanimous - Mbalula
On Monday, the ANC announced it would be summarily and temporarily suspending the membership of Zuma for bringing the party into disrepute.
Former President Jacob Zuma addresses members of the media under the banner of new party uMkhontho weSizwe on 16 December 2023. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/ Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) said that the decision to suspend its former president, Jacob Zuma, was a unanimous one among the party’s 87-member national executive committee (NEC).
The party said that Zuma’s public support of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) and his decampaigning of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa was against its constitution.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said there was no objection from any NEC member when it came to the decision to suspend Zuma.
He said that this included the KwaZulu-Natal caucus, which has always held a favourable view of the former president.
"KZN was part of this discussion and they contributed to the discussion and in the end it was a unanimous decision of the NEC that we must take this direction and it didn't take us day and night to arrive at that conclusion."
Mbalula said that a decision on a permanent expulsion for Zuma had not been taken yet.
He said that the ANC was a democratic institution and Zuma did have the right to challenge his suspension if he wished to.
COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY PROJECT
The ANC has also labelled the uMkhonto weSizwe Party a counter-revolutionary project designed to undermine the current democratic government.
In a rally this weekend, a spokesperson from the MK Party told supporters they would bring the country to a standstill if they didn't get a two-thirds majority after the elections.
In a media briefing on Monday night, Mbalula said that the MK Party was pushing a dangerous rhetoric.
In addition, Mbalula said that the ANC would be approaching the Electoral Court in an effort to have the MK Party de-registered.
"We have also challenged from the point of view of the trademark of uMkhonto weSizwe. The existence of this party as uMkhonto weSizwe is the trademark of the ANC."