Police minister likens ANC MPs to ‘suicide bombers’
POLICE Minister Fikile Mbalula has referred to ANC MPs as “suicide bombers” who must die for their ideology whether it is right or wrong.
Addressing journalists at the ANC’s policy conference yesterday, Mbalula said all ANC MPs had to take the party line in the upcoming vote of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.
National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete announced the motion would be debated on August 8 and will decide if it will be a secret ballot or not after considering submissions from political parties.
Mbalula said MPs who vote with the DA on this matter would be dealt with.
“Members of the ANC have no right to represent their jackets in parliament. They represent the organisation. They are suicide bombers. A suicide bomber dies for an ideology whether it is wrong or right. He or she dies for it.”
Mbalula said removal of the president was debated in the ANC and the proposal was defeated.
“I can go to parliament knowing very well that I have signed an expulsion note from the ANC and say anyway I am going to do it. It is suicide. It is political suicide.”
Mbalula, who delivered a report on organisational renewal to delegates at the conference, said commissions yesterday were discussing amending the ANC constitution and giving more powers to the ANC’s integrity committee.
Already on the agenda for the party’s elective conference in December is a vote on expanding the party’s top circle to more than six and one on establishing a “Revolutionary Council”.
The expansion of the ANC top officials was recently raised by the ANC Youth League, which proposed a second deputy secretarygeneral and nominated Mbalula to occupy the proposed position.
But Mbalula has long told the youth league that he was not interested in the nomination and he again turned down the nod by the structure he once led.
Mbalula yesterday said the proposed expansion of the top six would only fly if two-thirds of the December conference gave it the nod. The party’s constitution will have to be amended to accommodate this.
The same rule will apply in order for the proposed revolutionary council to become a formal structure of the governing party.
According to Mbalula, should the revolutionary council proposal be adopted in December, among its roles will be to whip into line party members to ensure they follow the rules and values of the party to the letter.
The council will comprise party members who “have retired and have no interest in standing for any position”, he said. –