‘Deal with Mbalula, JZ over Twitter tiff’
KWAZULU-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala has called on the party’s national leadership to deal with former president Jacob Zuma and the party’s head of elections Fikile Mbalula for their ugly social media spat last month. Zikalala said he was concerned that senior leaders having a go at each other on social media would prove detrimental to the party at the elections.
He did not mince his words when he addressed hundreds of provincial and national leaders during the provincial lekgotla in Durban yesterday. The aim of the gathering was to deliberate on party deployees to the government failing to implement policies taken at the party’s previous conferences.
Late last month Zuma tweeted he was attending a commemoration of Kgoši Mampuru II in Limpopo. Mbalula did not take kindly to this and accused his former political boss of hijacking a platform that should be occupied by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was out of the country.
“But cde President is this the right thing to do unless u are delegated Msholozi? U were a President bfo is this the right protocol? To go around addressing events that should b addressed by a seating President?” Mbalula tweeted.
Zuma replied: “Comrade Mbalula, I am certain that you are not supposed to ask me such a question through Twitter as you are inviting me to ask you questions on your question. This would lead to a conversation between you and I, either you educating me on ANC policy or vice versa.”
Yesterday, Zikalala told the ANC leaders that the Twitter exchange among ANC national leaders had “in fact brought the ANC into disrepute”.
“When ANC leaders compete on Twitter about the position of the movement on policy, it undermines the ANC’s coherent approach towards the elections.
“We are not quiet just because we are not on Twitter, but we know when to use it and to say what is right in advancing the cause of the ANC.
“If we see wrongs committed by a comrade we raise it within the ANC in the presence of that comrade, instead of taking it to Twitter,” he said.
Zikalala later told the media that it was disturbing to see Zuma and Mbalula tackling each other on Twitter. “The recent occurrences of Mbalula and Jacob Zuma you would not expect, especially from comrades who should be the face of the campaign.
“They are just rendering the ANC as if it has no direction and people can speak and do as they wish,” said Zikalala.
Zikalala said that while the KwaZulu-Natal leaders were on social media, their election campaigns were being let down by some in the national leadership.
He said if what Zuma was doing did not resonate with the ANC, the national executive committee should give him guidance on policy issues.
“He (Zuma) is a member just like all of us, he must be engaged on that.”
When contacted, ANC acting spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said he would only comment once he understood the context of Zikalala’s statement.
However, he said the ANC policies on social media were clear. “Our social media policy talks about centrality and the hierarchy of communications such as who communicates what.”
Zuma’s spokesperson Vukile Mathabela said no one within the ANC had told Zuma not to use Twitter to talk about issues that affect the ruling party.
“We have not heard what Zikalala has said today,” he said.