Moonsamy has to eat humble pie

AN ANC eThekwini regional executive member, Stanley Moonsamy, has been forced to apologise for alleging that “R2 billion (was) paid to ANC rats MPs who voted with the opposition”.

Moonsamy said this after President Jacob Zuma narrowly survived the vote on the motion of no-confidence against him on Tuesday.

Out of 384 MPs, 177 voted in favour of Zuma’s removal, 198 voted against and nine abstained.

There were about 30 ANC MPs who broke ranks on the no-confidence vote.

Some ANC MPs had openly stated that they would vote with their conscience.

Amid calls for those who voted with the opposition to be identified and disciplined, Moonsamy took to social media to claim money had changed hands. “R2 Billion paid to ANC Rats MPs Who Voted With Opposition. Shame on these Cde, you Betrayed the organisation (sic),” Moonsamy said.

“Just as you voted secretly you should secretly resign as a member of the ANC and Parliament. Now,” he wrote.

Moonsamy shared a list of 26 MPs suspected of voting with the opposition.

Despite being warned he was inviting trouble, Moonsamy said some of those on the list had taught them when “rats” betrayed the ANC “we must put a tyre around the necks and burn them, which we called a necklace”.

The ANC did not take kindly to his statements and ordered him on Thursday to withdraw them within 48 hours and apologise unconditionally.

Spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli said the post cast serious aspersions on certain ANC MPs without providing credible evidence.

“It is our firm view that during this hour of challenges and difficulties our movement must close ranks while acting firmly against those furthering divisions,” Ntuli said.