Deputy minister cries foul over Gigaba views

Divisions over the ANC's succession debate and the disciplinary appeal hearing of its youth league leaders have spilled over to President Jacob Zuma's cabinet.

Yesterday Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Thandi Tobias-Pokolo tore into Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, accusing him of "undermining" unity in the party by publicly discussing "internal issues".

Both Gigaba and Tobias-Pokolo are members of the ANC's national executive committee.

"I believe comrades are out of order, in particular Malusi, because this is not the first time that he goes and rebukes structures of the organisation in the public. It can never be right," said Tobias-Pokolo, adding that such utterances could be viewed as "perpetuating divisions and disunity in the organisation".

Tobias-Pokolo was responding to an interview Gigaba had given earlier in the week in which he ruled out the possibility of a political solution to ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema's disciplinary case.

He also talked about the "generational mix" in the party.

In a separate interview with the Sunday Times, Gigaba spoke out against ill-discipline in the party and slammed leaders who publicly discussed Malema's case.

"It is out of order for any leader of the ANC to make comments about [disciplinary] cases which are still taking place, outside the ANC. It's unnecessary opportunism," he said.

The comment could be seen as a dig at ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, who two weeks ago suggested that the ruling party should act leniently in the case involving Malema and five other youth league leaders.

In response Phosa would only say: "I don't want to talk about other leaders of the ANC in the media. I think it is very undignified."

The disciplinary charges against Malema and his comrades have split the ruling party into two camps and those opposed into Zuma's re-election bid have claimed that the charges were aimed at intimidating his critics.

But Gigaba, who is regarded as one of those campaigning for Zuma to serve a second term as party leader, believes the action against the youth league leaders has been long overdue.

"I think the ANC made mistakes along the way. One of those is not to intervene timeously and strictly whenever instances have arisen [in which] the constitution of the ANC was breached." He said this trend went "against the grain of the culture and ethos of the ANC".

"The leadership of the ANC must intervene regardless of how cosy its relationship with the incumbent leadership of the youth league is."

Gigaba served as youth league president between 1998 and 2004 and said the disciplinary process should be a lesson for the league.

But Tobias-Pokolo said the ANC must intervene and stop all party leaders from publicly expressing opinions on internal matters.

"We need to treat each other with respect and not use dirty tricks to engage each other.

"I'm referring to anybody in the ANC, at whatever level, who does not do things the right way - irrespective of who they are," said Tobias-Pokolo.