Cape Times E-dition

RAMAPHOSA SUSPENSION IS OUT OF ORDER- ANC MPS

BALDWIN NDABA baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has once again lashed out at DA leader John Steenhuisen, after the leader of the opposition party in Parliament accused him of being preoccupied with ANC factional battles, while the country was struggling.

This was during Ramaphosa’s appearance before the National Assembly to answer questions, which opposition parties used this to seek clarity on a letter by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, suspending Ramaphosa as ANC president.

Ramaphosa said Steenhuisen was also involved in DA factional politics, but the ANC did not comment on this.

He called on Steenhuisen to stay away from ANC matters and focus on the DA.

Ramaphosa faced MPs a day after the suspended Magashule rejected the party’s letter about his suspension and, in turn, said he was suspending Ramaphosa.

In his letter on Wednesday Magashule said he had suspended Ramaphosa in terms of resolution 8.2 of the 54th ANC national conference, which states that “... every cadre accused of, or reported to be involved in corrupt practices, accounts to the integrity committee immediately, or faces disciplinary committee processes”.

Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli had rejected claims by the EFF that Ramaphosa was suspended, saying: “We don’t know what you are talking about. As far as we are aware, the President is here.”

Parliamentary counsellor to Deputy President David Mabuza, Hope Papo said there was no decision of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) to that effect.

Papo said any MP saying there was a suspension of the President was out of order.

“I rise on the point of order that for any member of Parliament to cease being a member of Parliament representing their party, that party must formally write a letter, to the Office of the Speaker, withdrawing that member. There is no letter from the ANC suspending the membership of the president of the ANC. This notion that the President has been suspended is a myth. It must be rejected with contempt because there is no NEC decision suspending the president,” said Papo.

Despite being barred from attending the party’s NEC meeting starting from today, Magashule’s letter about Ramaphosa’s suspension is expected to consume the meeting.

The NEC is also due to finalise its lists of people to be placed on suspension,

following an increasing number of members who were defying the party’s step-aside resolution.

Limpopo ANC treasurer Danny Msiza – implicated in the VBS scandal – is among those identified.

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe confirmed that the total number of people to be suspended would be announced after the NEC meeting.

“We will be receiving reports at the NEC meeting and will make announcements on the total number of impacted people after the meeting,” Mabe said.

Political analyst Keith Gottschalk said the recent developments showed that the reformist faction in the ANC was winning against the kleptocratic faction.

“That it took Ramaphosa’s faction four years’ struggle to remove Ace Magashule from office shows the power of the secretarygeneral’s faction. The ANC’s constitution and procedures do give the deputy secretary-general the authority in this most unusual case of action against the secretarygeneral himself.

“The secretary-general has no authority to remove the president. That can only be done by the ANC’s NEC. It was a gesture of desperation from Magashule,” said Gottschalk.

He said the ANC’s step-aside resolution was what used to be called taking leave of absence, while an individual was an accused in a criminal case, until the verdict was known.

“So far, the ANC is interpreting it as covering those charged with crimes, not anyone against whom allegations have been made. Some allegations will occasionally turn out to be smears,” added Gottschalk.

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2021-05-07T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-07T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://capetimes.pressreader.com/article/281496459155473

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