By Jan Gerber.
The African National Congress (ANC) will hear the appeal of its former corruption-accused president, Jacob Zuma, against his expulsion on Friday.
Ahead of the May general elections, the ANC charged Zuma for endorsing the MK Party (MKP), after he announced that he founded and supported the party at a press briefing in December 2023.
He then went on to become the MKP’s supreme leader, but claimed that he was also an ANC member.
After some toing and froing from the ANC in the run-up to the elections, the ANC’s national disciplinary committee in July (NDC) found Zuma was guilty of breaching the party’s constitution and recommended he be expelled.
He was found guilty of contravening rule 25.17.17.4 of the ANC constitution, which reads, “acting on behalf of or in collaboration with the political organisation or party other than an organisation or party in alliance with the ANC in a manner contrary to the aims, policies and objectives of the ANC”.
He was also found guilty of contravening rule 25.17.13 of the ANC constitution, which reads: “joining or supporting a political organisation or party, other than an organisation in alliance with the ANC, in a manner contrary to the aims, objectives and policy of the ANC”.
The two charges are linked to the 16 December announcement where Zuma publicly stated he would not campaign for or vote for the ANC but would do so for the MK Party.
In August, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said Zuma didn’t lodge his appeal within the prescribed 21 days, and the party considered him expelled. However, earlier this week, the SABC reported that Mbalula said that Zuma has “appealed exactly within the prescription of the [ANC] constitution”.
On Thursday morning, the Jacob G Zuma foundation issued a statement, indicating that Zuma’s appeal would be heard the following day.
“The appeal hearing has been set down on a virtual platform against the wishes of [His excellency] President Zuma. Accordingly, he has instructed his representative [comrade] Tony Yengeni that the first order of business must be his application for a physical and public appeal process and a few other preliminary objections which need to be decided before the appeal on the merits,” said the foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi, who is also the MKP chief whip in the National Assembly, after leaving the EFF.
Yengeni is a former ANC NEC member.
According to the MK Party’s recently adopted constitution, its members are not allowed to join other parties, except in “highly exceptional and strategic circumstances” and with the approval of the party’s high command.
The constitution also gives Zuma the “ultimate power” to issue decrees.