ANC presidential candidate Zweli Mkhize on Monday launched a scathing attack on the party's step-aside rule as well as the nomination regulations for NEC membership set by the organisation's elections committee headed by former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Mkhize was making a last push in his bid to be party president at a function where he addressed ANC branches at the Dlamini Multipurpose Centre in Soweto.
According to Mkhize, the adoption of the step-aside rule which saw the suspension of the likes of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule “undermined ANC branches where the authority resides”.
Mkhize promised he would be very vocal when the rule is contested on Friday, the opening day of the ANC national elective conference at Nasrec, south of Joburg.
Mkhize said he believed the step-aside rule as well as nomination rules for the NEC promulgated by the Motlanthe committee were tailor-made to deal with opponents of the faction currently in control.
The former health minister urged branches to push back against this, saying it was paramount since the party had not convened its usual midterm national general council (NGC) where party policies are reviewed.
“When the conference opens [on Friday], the closed session will start by discussing constitutional changes and discussing all the rules and regulations that have affected the processes that have affected the nomination of members of the NEC. A lot of those regulations have got challenges,” said Mkhize.
“We are all crying foul of the step-aside rule. Any so-called rule that is used to purge some and protect others is not a good rule at all.
“We also cannot have nomination rules that are changed as we go along, regulations that did not even have the input of branches. Normally, conference is the one that makes amendments to regulations, checked with the branches if they are all accurate and then they are implemented,” said Mkhize to loud applause.
“In some cases [as things stand] the regulations come out, we thought we all agreed at NEC and understand it and depending on the political climate, it is hurriedly changed to say 'here is the most updated rule'. You do not run an organisation like that.
“This is undermining the branches and the authority of the branches where the power of the organisation resides.”
Mkhize said “this time it is even worse” because the NGC was not convened “and all these rules are moving and as things stand, these rules are problematic because they are implemented in a pay-as-you-go manner”.
When asked by media after his address about why he had never raised the issue of the rules and regulations he felt were unfair when they were adopted at meetings of the NEC of which he was a member, the erstwhile KwaZulu-Natal premier said he had always opposed them.
“You may be labouring under the impression that this step aside was never challenged, it is untrue. We have raised these issues. When the time step aside was raised [at NEC] we said it must go to the branches
“It came back from the branches. There were issues but there was never a process of dealing with them. But some of the rules have gone to the branches but there was never a time of saying let's get feedback. The delegates at conference need to close that issue.”
Mkhize said he was frustrated that party national chairperson Gwede Mantashe had closed a meeting on the Phala Phala panel findings prematurely with more than a dozen members yet to speak.
“In this case, we are talking about a meeting which was uncharacteristically terminated at the point when there were still many people to speak.”
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Zweli Mkhize says ANC's step-aside rule 'undermines authority of branches'
The presidential candidate says party cannot make rules and regulations in a 'pay-as-you-go' fashion
Image: Mawande AmaShabalala
ANC presidential candidate Zweli Mkhize on Monday launched a scathing attack on the party's step-aside rule as well as the nomination regulations for NEC membership set by the organisation's elections committee headed by former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Mkhize was making a last push in his bid to be party president at a function where he addressed ANC branches at the Dlamini Multipurpose Centre in Soweto.
According to Mkhize, the adoption of the step-aside rule which saw the suspension of the likes of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule “undermined ANC branches where the authority resides”.
Mkhize promised he would be very vocal when the rule is contested on Friday, the opening day of the ANC national elective conference at Nasrec, south of Joburg.
Mkhize said he believed the step-aside rule as well as nomination rules for the NEC promulgated by the Motlanthe committee were tailor-made to deal with opponents of the faction currently in control.
The former health minister urged branches to push back against this, saying it was paramount since the party had not convened its usual midterm national general council (NGC) where party policies are reviewed.
“When the conference opens [on Friday], the closed session will start by discussing constitutional changes and discussing all the rules and regulations that have affected the processes that have affected the nomination of members of the NEC. A lot of those regulations have got challenges,” said Mkhize.
“We are all crying foul of the step-aside rule. Any so-called rule that is used to purge some and protect others is not a good rule at all.
“We also cannot have nomination rules that are changed as we go along, regulations that did not even have the input of branches. Normally, conference is the one that makes amendments to regulations, checked with the branches if they are all accurate and then they are implemented,” said Mkhize to loud applause.
“In some cases [as things stand] the regulations come out, we thought we all agreed at NEC and understand it and depending on the political climate, it is hurriedly changed to say 'here is the most updated rule'. You do not run an organisation like that.
“This is undermining the branches and the authority of the branches where the power of the organisation resides.”
Mkhize said “this time it is even worse” because the NGC was not convened “and all these rules are moving and as things stand, these rules are problematic because they are implemented in a pay-as-you-go manner”.
When asked by media after his address about why he had never raised the issue of the rules and regulations he felt were unfair when they were adopted at meetings of the NEC of which he was a member, the erstwhile KwaZulu-Natal premier said he had always opposed them.
“You may be labouring under the impression that this step aside was never challenged, it is untrue. We have raised these issues. When the time step aside was raised [at NEC] we said it must go to the branches
“It came back from the branches. There were issues but there was never a process of dealing with them. But some of the rules have gone to the branches but there was never a time of saying let's get feedback. The delegates at conference need to close that issue.”
Mkhize said he was frustrated that party national chairperson Gwede Mantashe had closed a meeting on the Phala Phala panel findings prematurely with more than a dozen members yet to speak.
“In this case, we are talking about a meeting which was uncharacteristically terminated at the point when there were still many people to speak.”
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Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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