‘Yes’ voters to be disciplined by ANC

MEMBERS WHO MADE THEIR VOTES PUBLIC Khoza, Gordhan, Hanekom and Gungubele could be in firing line.

Three ANC MPs are to be disciplined by the party as ANC top brass bows to pressure from President Jacob Zuma and his supporters from the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces to act against those who voted in favour of the recent motion of no confidence against him.

The action is despite warnings from political analysts that any action against the MPs would be impossible as the vote was done by secret ballot and that the matter would be unwinnable in court, should those affected challenge any disciplinary action legally. Also, fears were expressed that such censure could break up the party once more.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe confirmed yesterday that the party’s national working committee has decided that disciplinary action be taken only against those who publicly proclaimed that they voted in favour of the motion.

“We said we will discipline those who went to the secret ballot and came out to say they voted with the opposition. We are not going on a witch-hunt but we are going to act against those who said it themselves,” Mantashe said.

Although Mantashe declined to name the parliamentarians being targeted, it is understood they could include party rebels Makhosi Khoza, Pravin Gordhan, Derek Hanekom and Mondli Gungubele.

Before last Tuesday’s vote, they publicly expressed their determination to vote according to their consciences in the anti-Zuma motion. They also repeatedly called for Zuma to step down.

However, there is doubt about whether these members actually publicly proclaimed how they voted. Even Khoza’s statement to online news publication Daily Maverick this week did not specify how she voted.

“It’s common cause how I voted, obviously I can’t betray my conscience,” she said.

While it was presumed that she voted in favour of the motion, no one could say that with certainty, due to the secrecy of the ballot.