High noon coming up fast for ANC

Adirect attack on a sitting minister by the party she represents can safely be said to be unprecedented. Yet when the ANC accused Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown of perjury in an open statement by the ruling party, a discordant clarion call of alarm bells began to ring.

The charge, made in an unrefuted release by party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa, relates to affidavits lodged under oath by the minister, controversially reinstated Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and the utility’s chairperson, Ben Ngubane, on the issue of Molefe’s early retirement.

In the statement, Kodwa said Molefe’s reinstatement to a job he had left in tears was in direct contradiction to his statement, in which he said he decided to leave his employ in the interests of good corporate governance, and to Brown’s letter in November, in which she approved the appointment of Matshela Koko as acting group CEO following “the resignation of Mr Brian Molefe”.

“On the strength of the representations from Minister Brown and Mr Molefe, the ANC acceded to his nomination as member of parliament. Not only are these latest developments disingenuous to say the least, they amount to perjury,” Kodwa said.

Molefe was sworn in as an MP in February but resigned after three months to return to Eskom.

“The ANC calls on government and parliament to act decisively to deal with this irrational and untenable situation,” Kodwa added.

The attack points graphically to the turmoil within the ANC, which has resolutely stood by its own in the past, and to the growing tensions within its warring factions and increasing discontent with President Jacob Zuma.

The battle lines have now been drawn and the frontline troops have started rallying to their own choice of colours, for ahead lies December’s ANC elective conference. The attack on Brown signals only the first significant salvo.