No need to expel or discipline Zuma: Mantashe

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There is no need to expel or discipline former President Jacob Zuma because he has walked away from the African National Congress (ANC). This is the word from ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe. The issue of Zuma’s decision to join and campaign for the new MK Party in the next elections, has elicited a number of views in the ANC.

Some party veterans including Mavuso Msimang said it was a blessing for Zuma not to campaign for the governing party, while Mantashe likened Zuma’s MK Party to a rebel movement. Mantashe was speaking to SABC News on the sidelines of ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to two Amandebele Royal Houses in Mpumalanga on Tuesday.

Although some ANC members have made peace with Zuma’s decision to ditch his party of over 60 years in the forthcoming elections, others are still trying to come to terms with their former leader’s move.

The party’s National Chair says Zuma’s MK is like one of the rebel movements formed by disgruntled African leaders who don’t want to relinquish power.

“I am talking of probabilities and possibilities in the continent of Africa that when presidents don’t want to give up power, they turn into rebel movement. Savimbi came up with a revolutionary movement at the time and he wanted power. Bozizi in Central African Republic is leading a rebel movement, Dhlakama is from Frelimo, and he is leading a rebel movement and it is normal on the continent but what we must warned against is that it must be armed,” says Mantashe.

On the utterances of the party’s Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, that the ANC protected Zuma in the investigation on his Nkandla home by lying to Parliament and saying a swimming pool was a fire pool, Mantashe said that was a reckless statement by one of his successors. He says they will discuss Mbalula’s remarks internally.

“I thought he was carried away by you guys, he saw your cameras and he got taken away and said things he shouldn’t have said. To me this is what we need to deal with internally that when you lead you count your words so that you don’t catch fire.  He will learn in the trade and he was just excited and said things he should not have said. As a leader, you must count your words so that you don’t catch fire. But, he will learn,” Mantashe added.

Video: Mbalula admits ANC lied to protect Zuma in Nkandla ‘fire pool’ debacle:

The ANC National Chairperson also said they knew that it was a swimming pool with a lot of water which could be used to extinguish a fire.

“I reminded comrades that we went to Nkandla, we saw that swimming pool and journalist ambushed us and ask us what did you see and we say we saw a swimming with a lot of water and with a lot of water in case of fire, it can be used as a fire pool. So, it’s a closed debate. I don’t know why he is opening that again I don’t understand,” Mantashe explains.

Ramaphosa concluded his visit to different Amandebele Royal Households by gifting both Kings with cattle. The Nhlapo Commission recognized both Royal houses of Ingwenyama Mabhoko III Mahlangu of AmaNdebele wakwa-Ndzundza and Ingwenyama Makhosonke II Mabena.

“What I was particularly pleased about was to gain a much deeper history which I knew but the exposition was deeper. We exchanged views on economy and there is deep quest for land and we discussed the issue of the deputy president’s effort to address the issue of land,” says Ramaphosa.

Video: Ramaphosa visits Kingdom Houses of AmaNdebele

The ANC has not taken lightly the comments of their secretary general Fikile Mbalula who now has to answer to the party’s top brass on why he opened old, closed wounds of Nkandla upgrades and the fire pool.