ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said they will take action against members who take part in the activities of other parties. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
The ANC provincial secretary in KwaZulu-Natal, Bheki Mtolo, has announced that their public representatives who take part in the activities of other parties will face disciplinary action.
This comes as reports emerge that some ANC members were involved with the MK party, led by by former president Jacob Zuma.
Mtolo also said they have considered Zuma to have left the ANC.
He said they were busy looking at their public representatives who are involved with other parties and have so far identified three councillors.
Action will be taken against the three councillors whose names will be made public once they have written to them about this matter.
The ANC was campaigning to win the elections and will not be distracted by the MK party.
However, they will not allow their members and public representatives to serve two parties outside of the Tripartite Alliance, Mtolo said at a media briefing on Wednesday.
“All ANC public representatives who are participating in activities of other political formations are summarily suspended with immediate effect, and they will be brought before the ANC Provincial Disciplinary Committee.
“Members of the ANC who associate themselves and participate actively in activities of other political parties that contest elections against the ANC are presumed to have left the ANC and voluntarily terminated their membership and will be removed from the national membership register of members,” said Mtolo.
He said they will ensure that they root out members who are involved in this practice.
“Councillors who we are sure are participating in this are three. But we must write a letter to them before we announce their names. They will be suspended,” said Mtolo.
He said they will not be talking about the MK party after their manifesto launch on February 24 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Mtolo said there are many parties that have been formed in the build-up to the elections this year.
However, some of the parties were led by dodgy characters, said Mtolo, without referring to any party by name.
The only party that had credible leaders was Cope when it was formed in 2008 after the recall of former president Thabo Mbeki.
“Cope was formed by credible and ethical ANC leaders. Terror Lekota was a defence minister and was ANC chairperson for 10 years; he was never accused of any wrongdoing during his service in the ANC.
“Mluleki George was a deputy minister. He was the chair of one of the biggest regions of the ANC in the Eastern Cape, the Amathole region. Mbhazima Shilowa was a former general-secretary of Cosatu,” said Mtolo.
These and many other leaders of Cope were credible leaders.
But even when they left, people continued to support and vote for the ANC, he said.
He said the ANC will fight to win the elections and has mobilised its supporters in the province.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics