ANC still indecisive about Zuma’s position, says matter is with disciplinary committee. Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Three months after his suspension, the African National Congress (ANC) still plays "black mampatile" (hide and seek) in deciding whether former president Jacob Zuma is still a party member or not.
The ANC suspended Zuma in January after he announced in December in Soweto, Johannesburg that he would campaign for the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the 2024 national and provincial elections.
"There was no need to expel him because him campaigning for another party means he expelled himself,“ the ANC said at the time.
In his announcement, Zuma said he would remain an ANC member, while his vote would be in favour of MK.
He said his conscience would not allow him to vote for the ANC of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The party’s secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said they invoked Rule 25 of the ANC constitution to temporarily suspend Zuma.
He also warned that others whose conduct conflicted with their principles and values would find themselves out of the ANC.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri told Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday night that Zuma’s matter was still being considered by disciplinary committee members.
“The disciplinary committee of the ANC has ceased with this matter. There’s basically nothing much to say about that, we have restated this point repeatedly,” she said.
This comes after IOL had sent questions to the ruling party about the former president’s position, but could not get a response.
Weighing on the matter, political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe told IOL that the ANC should bite the bullet and simply expel Zuma because their delay will work against them as the road to elections becomes increasingly difficult.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced that Zuma’s face will appear on the ballot as a substitute for the MK Party founder, Jabulani Khumalo.
Zuma is the number one candidate in his party.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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