MPs slammed for quitting

Irate Mantashe claims its over pensions

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has criticised former ministers who quit as MPs this week after they were dropped from President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet.

Mantashe said yesterday that former energy minister Tina JoematPettersson‚ transport minister Dipuo Peters and deputy finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas should have learned from SACP MPs who had previously stayed on in parliament when Zuma fired them in 2014.

The three resigned as MPs one after the other this week after being sacked last Thursday by Zuma.

Mantashe lashed out at the now former MPs, accusing them of resigning in an attempt to preserve better pension benefits‚ accumulated through their ministerial jobs‚ which were likely to plummet if they stayed on as lower-paid legislators.

“[Because of] the pension structure of parliament as you know‚ people are removed as ministers‚ they resign to protect their pensions,” he said.

“When people get to the backbenches they lose their pensions.

“Their pension will be calculated at the rate of a backbencher.

“In the past, when Derek [Hanekom] was removed as a minister [of agriculture]‚ Derek remained in parliament as a backbencher. He was reappointed as minister and therefore you can expect it from Derek that he will not resign.

“A communist minister like Ben Martins didn’t resign when he was removed [in 2014].

“A communist minister like Yunus Carrim didn’t resign when removed [also in 2014]. All the other ministers when removed they . . . go and try to protect their pensions,” he said.

Hanekom confirmed on Thursday that he would not be resigning.

“No I’m not [resigning]. My plan is to remain until the end of the term‚” he said.

Peters and Jonas could not be reached for comment.

Joemat-Pettersson said in a statement that parliament was “not the only site of struggle for radical economic transformation”.

She planned to “continue to make a small contribution” in the national executive committee of the ANC.

But when contacted by TMG for comment she said: “I’m sorry‚ I’m busy right now okay‚ bye.”

A technical glitch on the part of parliament fuelled speculation that MPs such as former finance minister Pravin Gordhan‚ Jonas‚ Peters‚ Joemat-Pettersson and former public service and administration minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi would resign after their names were erroneously removed from parliament’s website.

Mantashe said the ANC would fill its vacancies ahead of the debate on the motion of no confidence in Zuma on April 18, in terms of their MP nomination list from the 2014 elections. — TMG