KZN and Free State ANC NEC members call for the ‘heads’ of dissenting comrades

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State want the ruling party to convene a special national executive committee meeting to deal with its MPs who voted with opposition parties in support of a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.

At a media briefing by the provincial working committees of both provinces in Durban on Monday‚ senior officials made it clear that they want the 26 dissenting MPs to face disciplinary action for voting with the opposition.

KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairman Sihle Zikalala‚ who addressed the media with his Free State counterpart‚ Ace Magashule‚ with mining minister Mosebenzi Zwane also in attendance‚ said the party would be tough against those MPs.

“We contend‚ rightly so‚ that the motion of no confidence was not just about President Zuma but essentially about removing the ANC. And in that regard we are clear that those who voted in support of the motion from the ANC must face disciplinary action. And we are not going to be soft on that because in the ANC there is discipline‚” he said.

“…we must work together to convene a special NEC to deal with this matter.

“We all join the ANC and represent the ANC at the behest of the people and not our own behest as individuals. And if you feel that you cannot represent the ANC interests anymore‚ you must just be grateful to the ANC and withdraw yourself. That’s the only discipline and the modest way that you could do to the people and the membership of the ANC‚” said Zikalala.

The motion was defeated after 198 MPs voted against it‚ while 177 voted for Zuma to go‚ with nine abstentions.

The two provinces met in Durban on Monday to engage openly on the state of the organisation as well as preparations for the national elective conference in December.

Zikalala said the aim of the meeting was also to discuss unity in the ANC and the tripartite alliance which has been beset by deep divisions over Zuma’s leadership.

He said they wanted to ensure that the December conference was smooth as they did not want a repeat of the Polokwane conference in 2007 where Zuma defeated former president Thabo Mbeki amid deep divisions in the party.

“None of us wish to see the recurrence of what happened in Polokwane. And we would want to see the traditions of the ANC of internal democracy characterised by unity where we elect the leadership and emerge united‚” said Zikalala.

Both PWCs‚ he said‚ will also work together on the names of those vying for leadership positions once the NEC has official opened the race next month.

They also threw their weight behind the controversial Mining Charter which “seeks to extend the ownership of mines to the workers and people around those mining areas and to advance black ownership”.

Zikalala said they were also concerned about the increase in incidents of violence against women and called on the ANC and government to deal harshly with it.