By SIPHE MACANDA, QAANITAH HUNTER and MOIPONE MALEFANE
It almost came to “him or us” at a heated meeting of the ANC’s top brass yesterday – and some of the ruling party’s most senior members nearly came to blows as they debated President Jacob Zuma’s fitness to hold office.
Tiso Blackstar has learnt that senior National Executive Committee (NEC) members former police commissioner Bheki Cele and former police minister Nathi Mthethwa, who both still serve on Zuma’s current cabinet but in other positions, nearly came to blows at the meeting on Sunday.
The party had to extend the final NEC meeting of the year, held at St Georges Hotel in Pretoria, late into last night after weekend talks between pro- and anti-Zuma ANC members polarised sharply on a motion of no confidence proposed by Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom.
He came under harsh criticism from Zuma sympathisers, with some turning to social media to express their views. Insiders yesterday said Hanekom’s motion was strongly opposed, placing his position in Zuma’s cabinet in peril.
One unverified source said that among the other senior ANC members supporting the call for Zuma to step down were Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor, Minister of Public Works Thulas Nxesi, ANC Chief Whip in the National Assembly Jackson Mthembu and Finance Minister Pravin Gordan.
Insiders said Sunday was a day of high drama with cabinet ministers turning on each other, for and against Zuma.
Cele, now Deputy Minister of Agriculture, apparently annoyed Mthethwa, now Minister of Arts and Culture, when he pointed out that the Marikana tragedy happened on Mthethwa’s watch in August 2012.
At the time Mthethwa was minister of police and Cele had just been fired as police commissioner.
Cele was suggesting the ANC was in trouble due to a lack of accountability, sources at the meeting said, adding Mthethwa retorted angrily. Cele responded, saying: “Are you threatening me?”
It is understood that yesterday, when NEC members made individual submissions, there was a stalemate between the two factions until Zuma left to receive Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and later returned.
Those in support of Zuma called on the President to fire those who had called on him to step down, saying there was a breach of trust.
Other sources described the meeting as “tough”, “personal” and “tense”.
Zuma’s detractors were lambasted for speaking against him without a mandate.
“There were many comrades that had not made submissions, hence the meeting had to be extended.
“NEC members were making individual submissions and that is when people expressed their views of dissatisfaction against the president,” said a source.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni said such an internal challenge was a clear sign Zuma was losing power.
“The momentum of the veterans and other roleplayers can only mean one thing. Cosatu also pronounced on a candidate that is not necessarily his choice . All these things suggest that his power is being challenged directly, not from outside only but also from within,” Fikeni said. But Zuma still had some staying power and would probably survive the motion, he added.
“He will in all likelihood survive this one, limping and wounded – but he may also go on a vengeful mission. That, too, may cause even more negative reaction,” he said.
The battle for the soul of the ANC has not been so highly contested since it removed former president Thabo Mbeki in 2007.
The discussion by the NEC into Zuma’s fitness to continue as the head of state shows a rift within the party’s highest decision-making structure between conferences, which has continuously defending him in the past.
Political analyst at the University of Cape Town Dr Zwelethu Jolobe said the move by some in the ANC to call for Zuma’s head showed they no longer trusted him.
“The ANC operates under the principle of collective leadership. Whenever there are challenges the most important accountable body is the NEC. So now the NEC is showing that the party president is accountable to the NEC,” Jolobe said.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal openly criticised Hanekom’s NEC motion. “It doesn’t sound logical that NEC members can go around canvassing for the president to be removed while they were elected together by the conference of the ANC,” said ANC KZN spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli.
Despite the impasse Zuma continued business as usual, issuing statements that he was hosting the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni and that he plans to travel to Cuba for the funeral of former President Fidel Castro on Friday.
The ANC’s national spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, said last night that there would be a media briefing on the outcomes of the NEC today at 2pm at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters.
Ministers in Zuma face-off
It almost came to “him or us” at a heated meeting of the ANC’s top brass yesterday – and some of the ruling party’s most senior members nearly came to blows as they debated President Jacob Zuma’s fitness to hold office.
Tiso Blackstar has learnt that senior National Executive Committee (NEC) members former police commissioner Bheki Cele and former police minister Nathi Mthethwa, who both still serve on Zuma’s current cabinet but in other positions, nearly came to blows at the meeting on Sunday.
The party had to extend the final NEC meeting of the year, held at St Georges Hotel in Pretoria, late into last night after weekend talks between pro- and anti-Zuma ANC members polarised sharply on a motion of no confidence proposed by Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom.
He came under harsh criticism from Zuma sympathisers, with some turning to social media to express their views. Insiders yesterday said Hanekom’s motion was strongly opposed, placing his position in Zuma’s cabinet in peril.
One unverified source said that among the other senior ANC members supporting the call for Zuma to step down were Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor, Minister of Public Works Thulas Nxesi, ANC Chief Whip in the National Assembly Jackson Mthembu and Finance Minister Pravin Gordan.
Insiders said Sunday was a day of high drama with cabinet ministers turning on each other, for and against Zuma.
Cele, now Deputy Minister of Agriculture, apparently annoyed Mthethwa, now Minister of Arts and Culture, when he pointed out that the Marikana tragedy happened on Mthethwa’s watch in August 2012.
At the time Mthethwa was minister of police and Cele had just been fired as police commissioner.
Cele was suggesting the ANC was in trouble due to a lack of accountability, sources at the meeting said, adding Mthethwa retorted angrily. Cele responded, saying: “Are you threatening me?”
It is understood that yesterday, when NEC members made individual submissions, there was a stalemate between the two factions until Zuma left to receive Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and later returned.
Those in support of Zuma called on the President to fire those who had called on him to step down, saying there was a breach of trust.
Other sources described the meeting as “tough”, “personal” and “tense”.
Zuma’s detractors were lambasted for speaking against him without a mandate.
“There were many comrades that had not made submissions, hence the meeting had to be extended.
“NEC members were making individual submissions and that is when people expressed their views of dissatisfaction against the president,” said a source.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni said such an internal challenge was a clear sign Zuma was losing power.
“The momentum of the veterans and other roleplayers can only mean one thing. Cosatu also pronounced on a candidate that is not necessarily his choice . All these things suggest that his power is being challenged directly, not from outside only but also from within,” Fikeni said. But Zuma still had some staying power and would probably survive the motion, he added.
“He will in all likelihood survive this one, limping and wounded – but he may also go on a vengeful mission. That, too, may cause even more negative reaction,” he said.
The battle for the soul of the ANC has not been so highly contested since it removed former president Thabo Mbeki in 2007.
The discussion by the NEC into Zuma’s fitness to continue as the head of state shows a rift within the party’s highest decision-making structure between conferences, which has continuously defending him in the past.
Political analyst at the University of Cape Town Dr Zwelethu Jolobe said the move by some in the ANC to call for Zuma’s head showed they no longer trusted him.
“The ANC operates under the principle of collective leadership. Whenever there are challenges the most important accountable body is the NEC. So now the NEC is showing that the party president is accountable to the NEC,” Jolobe said.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal openly criticised Hanekom’s NEC motion. “It doesn’t sound logical that NEC members can go around canvassing for the president to be removed while they were elected together by the conference of the ANC,” said ANC KZN spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli.
Despite the impasse Zuma continued business as usual, issuing statements that he was hosting the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni and that he plans to travel to Cuba for the funeral of former President Fidel Castro on Friday.
The ANC’s national spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, said last night that there would be a media briefing on the outcomes of the NEC today at 2pm at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos