ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula took a swipe at the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) for daring to call former president Jacob Zuma’s disciplinary hearing a “kangaroo court”. Picture: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula took a swipe at the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) for daring to call former president Jacob Zuma’s disciplinary hearing a “kangaroo court”.
Mbalula said a kangaroo court was what the MKP was, as people there were expelled without due process.
“Who are they to lecture people about due process? At the MK Party we read in the press that you are dismissed. You don’t know when the disciplinary committee was,” he said.
Mbalula made the statement when he announced at a media briefing that Zuma was expelled after his disciplinary hearing was concluded.
News of Zuma’s expulsion surfaced on Sunday evening after the verdict of the national disciplinary committee was leaked.
This prompted MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela to say the leak revealed that the disciplinary process was not only profoundly flawed but also conducted in a manner akin to a kangaroo court and that the hearing was changed from physical to virtual despite an initial commitment.
“uMkhonto weSizwe will not passively watch as these grave injustices against its leader unfold. President Zuma will engage his legal team to urgently determine the course of action and ensure justice is served,” Ndhlela said.
But, Mbalula said the MK party has not gone to a conference and its leaders were summarily dismissed from the party.
“We are told by a political non-entity about how to run a party when in a few months they have not shown any good deeds of a good party in terms of governing a party,” he said.
Mbalula said Zuma was expelled for prejudicing the integrity of the ANC by collaborating with the MK party.
He has 21 days to appeal the verdict to the national disciplinary committee of appeal.
He said the political values and democratic institutions Zuma mobilised against were consciously embedded into the ANC’s constitutional dispensation as strategic advances of the values of the National Democratic Revolution.
“His platform is dangerous, appeals to extremist instincts in our body politic and riles up a political base that may foment social unrest. His action reinforces the work of the primarily right-wing opponents of the National Democratic Revolution,” he said.
Mbalula said Zuma was notified about the disciplinary hearing, including its outcome after he declared he would fight the ANC.
The ANC had followed its constitution and discipline of the party by hauling Zuma to a hearing, regardless of the rank he held.
“We have a responsibility to maintain discipline within the party and you will be subjected to the ANC disciplinary process.”
He said Zuma, who did not attend the virtual hearing, could have attended if he wanted to defend himself.
“Jacob Zuma wanted movies in front of the Luthuli House and so on. He wanted his hearing to be public. You can’t go to court and they tell you we are to conduct a virtual hearing and say you are not coming.
“If you have a cogent argument that you have not contravened the rules of the ANC as you have been charged, you can argue anywhere. It is not an issue,” Mbalula said.
He said the disciplinary hearing dragged on to a point some ANC members called it “a special dispensation for Jacob Zuma”.
“We had to follow the processes of the organisation to the latter because we respect the ANC constitution … That is what we did in relation to Jacob Zuma for his claim that he is a member of the ANC.”
Mbalula said the ANC was happy that the matter was concluded.
“We are ready for anything as the ANC. We are happy we reached this stage. We will defend our actions to the end in relation to Jacob Zuma. We believe politically, morally and otherwise we are on the right path.”
He said the ANC was here to stay after Zuma’s expulsion.
“Members of the ANC have got a responsibility to defend their party, their organisation and its integrity,” he said.
Cape Times
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