ANC’s Mbalula fails in attempt to rein in party's Gauteng chairperson Lesufi
It's understood Mbalula wanted to charge Lesufi, who is also premier of the province, for bringing the organisation into disrepute.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula gives an update on 29 July 2024 on the expulsion of former president Jacob Zuma from the party. ANC on X
JOHANNESBURG - African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula's attempts to rein in Gauteng’s provincial chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, have failed.
It's understood that Mbalula wanted to charge Lesufi, who is also premier of the province, for bringing the organisation into disrepute.
Lesufi has been involved in several public spats, including one with the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Helen Zille, after she claimed he undermined the Government of National Unity (GNU) coalition.
ALSO READ: Lesufi hits back at DA's Zille over claims that he defied ANC's national leadership
The GNU is an ANC-led coalition that includes the DA, but it has failed to take shape in Gauteng and some of the province’s metros.
Mbalula requested a meeting with Lesufi on Monday.
Mbalula had built a case against Lesufi, with some of the issues Lesufi is accused of include undermining the spirit of the GNU, bringing the ANC into public disrepute, and inviting ridicule upon ANC leaders.
Insiders have told Eyewitness News that Mbalula went as far as comparing the ANC provincial chair to the South African Communist Party (SACP)’s Solly Mapaila, a vocal critic of the GNU arrangement.
However, most leaders were left surprised by Mbalula, accusing him of targeting Lesufi out of fear that he might one day contest him for power, while others claim he’s attempting to build a case to disband the ANC in the province.
It’s also understood that some felt Lesufi had every right to defend himself, saying Zille should never go unchallenged.
Lesufi has since deactivated his X account.