By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee meets this weekend to plan the party’s future ahead of the provincial and national elections.
The party’s highest decision-making body between conferences is meeting in Boksburg on Friday.
The party is also expected to discuss its former president Jacob Zuma’s departure from the ANC.
Zuma has been on a campaign trail for a newly formed uMkhonto Wesizwe party, although has not officially resigned from the governing party.
Party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said ANC members cannot also be members of another political party.
“I believe that anything that has been said by our deployees, who were deployed by the ANC over the last weekend to address cadres assemblies and cadres forums, have spoken based on the hymn book of the ANC on this matter.
“So I will stand by everything that was said by these comrades because it is not exactly hanging someone’s dirty linen in public.
“It’s a thing of reminding South Africans that here we come as the ANC, we remain intact. Anyone that goes and speaks against the ANC when they decide to belong to two parties, namely the ANC and the other party, is not in line with our the constitution of the ANC,” she said.
At the same time, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed Zuma would not be attending the meeting.
“President Zuma has not been attending NEC meetings, and he is not an ex-officio member. Him and other former presidents attend the meeting as per invitation of the NEC, to honour them and their contribution.
“But ever since his incarceration, the NEC stopped inviting him.
Zuma handed himself over the to the police in July 2021 after the Constitutional Court sentenced him to 15 months in prison after finding him guilty of contempt of court.
“There is not been any change in relation to that, so we do not expect him to attend because he has not been invited for quite some time.
“Which means at some point, the NEC would have applied itself as to we then reinstate the invitation or what happens going forward, based on the outcomes of the case. He finally got parole, and he was one of the people who benefitted from the president’s pardon, now before that could be concluded by us, MK happened.”
Mbalula said Friday’s NEC meeting will reflect on Zuma’s attitude towards the ANC.
“We will decide on what then do we do since he has announced his position, as we all know about it.
There is no premium member of the ANC and a precious one above the rules of the ANC. All what the ANC does, it gives consideration to the matters and the same time to look at the attitude of those who are involved and exactly what they want to do.
“It is a firm position, no longer a rumour, Zuma is campaigning and has taken a particular posture. The NEC advised in Mbombela that as we meet [afterwards], we then reflect and make a political statement. The political statement will also entail the ANC’s constitution and Zuma’s standing. We have arrived at that point now.”
“The ANC will continue to speak for itself across the country. That will be very clear after that discussion.”
The NEC sits from Friday, 26 January, to Sunday, 28 January. The meeting will be followed by a national lekgotla on 28-29 January, where the party will discuss its plan of action for the year ahead.