Johannesburg - Political analyst Ongama Mtinka says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s faction of the ANC was itching to deal decisively with presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
Dlamini Zuma had been informed that she would be facing a disciplinary process for voting for the adoption of the Section 89 report that revealed that Ramaphosa had a case to answer in relation to the concealment of a robbery on his farm in 2020.
The robbery saw around US$4m stolen on Ramaphosa’s farm. The money was concealed in couches and under the mattress of a bed. Ramaphosa seemed to have a stronghold over the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
On the road to Nasrec 2022 Ramaphosa had notably dealt with all his opponents, either purging them out of the party or making them dysfunctional party members. Some examples of such people include ANC veteran Carl Niehaus, Bathabile Dlamini, Ace Magashule and others.
“If it was up to the Ramaphosa faction of the ANC they would have wanted this to have happened much earlier so that they can eliminate her in the process,” Mtinka said.
He said the dominant faction in the ANC should be careful of completely eliminating Dlamini Zuma at her weakest because this could make her look like a martyr and possibly spark a revolt at the critical time of conference.
In a letter sent to Dlamini Zuma, the party’s acting secretary general, Paul Mashatile said: “The National Officials having considered the report of the Chief Whip and the above mentioned provisions of the ANC constitution among others decided to exercise the power in Rule 25.9 to invoke disciplinary proceedings under the ANC constitution and therefore to initiate disciplinary proceedings against you,” the letter said.
The Star