Daily Dispatch
Marching to a mindless tune
IF YOU have a conscience, and act according to it, you do not belong in the ANC. This has been made abundantly clear by both the utterances and actions of the party’s top leadership since the vote of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma was narrowly defeated earlier this month.
With his ubiquitously flawed logic ANC secretary-general Mantashe declared that: “If you voted for no-confidence and kept quiet, you won’t be hunted. But if you flaunt it, you’re undermining the organisation.”
In other words, in the ANC, you may have a conscience – but you’d better not be open about it or act on it if doing so is contrary to the ANC’s desired outcomes.
The likes of ANC MPs Derek Hanekom and Makhosi Khoza have made no secret of their dislike of what Zuma has done to the party and country. Shortly before the vote of no-confidence, Hanekom tweeted: “Dispel this notion of voting with the opposition. We must vote against state capture, massive looting and corruption. Vote for change…”
He added, as it turns out rather naively, “Secret ballot. No retribution because no one will know how you voted. But this must be a vote against state capture.”
But, retribution is all that seems to be on the ANC’s collective mind.
Despite the Constitutional Court judgment which spelt out in detail that MPs should be able to vote without fear of censure, Khoza was quickly removed as chair of parliament’s portfolio committee on public service and administration and faces a disciplinary hearing in September.
Hanekom has been put on notice by the ANC S-G that his will be axed as chair of the party’s national disciplinary committee, a position in which, Mantashe admits, Hanekom has conducted himself in a “professional and independent manner”.
Senior ANC leaders, including Zuma himself, Free State Premier Ace Magashule and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini have intimated in one form or another that those who voted against Zuma should face consequences.
What Mantashe and the ANC have completely forgotten in this is the ConCourt’s admonition that MPs needed to be able to honour their constitutional obligations with regard to their sworn faithfulness to the republic and irrevocable commitment to do what the constitution and the law require of them for the common good of all South Africans.
Even speaker Baleke Mbete is not above their wrath. She is required to now explain to the party her decision to hold a secret ballot. This is unprecedented. As speaker she is supposed to be independent, impartial and above party political interests. She owes the party no explanation. The ANC has shown little understanding and even less commitment to the constitution, the role of parliament and the need for its members – under certain circumstances – to be allowed to vote with their conscience.
Instead, the party now adheres to a hive mind-set and its swarm intelligence is guided by a leader who eschews the constitution rather than using it as a lodestar.