Mbalula the peacemaker? Newly elected SG wants to resolve issues between Zuma and Ramaphosa

Newly elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says he is working on a plan to establish peace between President Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Jacob Zuma. 

Speaking to media this week after the ANC's 55th national conference, Mbalula said while the ANC cannot get involved in the legal process between the pair, it can engage in the political process.

“I’ve worked on a plan to get the two presidents talking and I think we need to get that going. We need decorum, we need engagement and we need to understand each other,” said Mbalula. 

“We need to deal with these particular issues, including matters of legal wrangling and so on. We can't stop the legal process but we can engage in a political process which is what we will do.”

He said members may differ, “but there must be decorum”.

On the eve of the conference, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said it had instituted a private prosecution of Ramaphosa.

He has been summoned to appear in court on January 19 to face a charge of being an “accessory after the fact” in the same private prosecution Zuma is pursuing against prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan for disclosing a document concerning Zuma’s medical state.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has been charged in a private prosecution with the criminal offence of being accessory after the fact in the crimes committed by, among others, advocate Downer — namely, breaching the provisions of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act,” the foundation said.

Ramaphosa, through the presidency, rejected the prosecution “with the utmost contempt”.

The presidency said a nolle prosequi certificate, or a certificate of non-prosecution by the NPA, was a prerequisite for a valid private prosecution.

Ramaphosa initially gave Zuma until Monday to withdraw the “abusive” private prosecution against him. He later extended the deadline to Wednesday. 

In a statement on Wednesday, the NPA said “nolle prosequi” certificates it issued to Zuma and his legal team have nothing to do with Ramaphosa.

NPA’s advocate Rodney de Kock said the authority issued two “nolle prosequi” certificates in good faith to Zuma in compliance with section 7 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

“These certificates were issued in direct relation to the docket (Pietermaritzburg CAS 309/10/21) which contained statements and affidavits relating to specific individuals for alleged contravention of section 41 (6) read with section 41(7) of the NPA Act.

“The nolle certificates apply to any persons who are specifically mentioned in the docket. The president was not mentioned in any of the affidavits or statements and thus the certificates were not issued in relation to him. Any further clarification will be provided in court should the matter be litigated.”

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