Mbeki is out of order

Former president Thabo Mbeki’s criticism of the ANC parliamentary caucus refers (“Mbeki lashes ANC and Mashatile over Phala Phala and Eskom”, March 30). Mbeki and Cyril Ramaphosa were relentless political rivals. Mbeki was unsettled by Ramaphosa’s popularity. Then there were rumours that his political rivals, including Ramaphosa, were plotting to assassinate him just before an ANC electoral conference.

Mbeki was silent when the ANC protected Jacob Zuma after the Constitutional Court ruling on Nkandla. So, it is opportunistic of him to attack the ANC on its section 89 decision to protect Ramaphosa. There has been no Constitutional Court ruling on the Phala Phala saga. The ANC voted against the section 89 panel report because Ramaphosa had taken the matter on review to the Constitutional Court. This was a reasonable ANC decision in a constitutional democracy.

Unfortunately, the court refused to entertain the matter. What more was Ramaphosa expected to do? The ANC’s hands were tied because it would not take a premature decision while waiting on the court ruling. Crucially, the SA Revenue Service and the public protector found no wrongdoing on the president’s part.

It is disingenuous of Mbeki to accuse the ANC of abusing its majority to subvert the constitution when he blatantly did so when he was president. Mbeki abused his office by firing Vusi Pikoli as head of the National Prosecuting Authority when he was about to charge a prominent member of the ANC (the late Jackie Selebi) with corruption.

Mbeki should accept polls, which indicate that the ANC would lose even more support at the next elections in the absence of the much-loved Ramaphosa.

Jeffrey Mothuloe Via email