Zuma looking for victims – analyst
EMBATTLED ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza yesterday confirmed that she voted for President Jacob Zuma’s removal in Parliament, as the party looks set to go into a tailspin over the motion of no confidence.
Khoza’s comments came hours after Zuma and his allies intensified calls for action to be taken against the 26 or so ANC MPs who defied the party line last week.
But yesterday even some of Zuma’s supporters did not know how the punishment would be carried out as the vote was done in secret.
This was as political analysts warned that a witch-hunt against the MPs would be illegal and deepen the divisions in the party.
Khoza returned to Facebook to condemn the ANC MPs who voted to keep Zuma, saying they chose kleptocracy.
“In those voting booths, we were all confronted with the same choice, to choose between right and wrong. To choose between self-enrichment and the service of our people. Unfortunately, the majority chose to endorse the steady and relentless destruction of the ANC and the country. Once again, our party chose to side with a president who has consistently failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution,” she said.
In a statement on social media yesterday , Khoza commended her colleagues who supported the motion.
“They stood true to their oaths as MPs, choosing to defend the rights of those who elected them to public office, instead of defending the immoral and indefensible.”
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has already charged Khoza with ill-discipline for publicly defying the organisation. Her disciplinary hearing is expected to get under way next month.
It was unclear how provinces would deal with other MPs who defied the party.
ANC North West secretary Dakota Legoete said it would require “special expertise” to find out how the MPs voted. “The voting was done via a secret ballot, so we won’t be competent to discover how the MPs voted.”
ANC Gauteng secretary Hope Papo said the responsibility of dealing with the MPs lay with the party’s national executive committee (NEC).
“All matters relating to ANC caucus at national Parliament is the political responsibility of the NEC . As a province we have a responsibility, working with our regions, for the Gauteng Legislature and municipalities,” he said.
ANC national communications manager Khusela Sangoni referred questions to party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa, who couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Political analysts warned yesterday that Zuma’s bid to purge ANC MPs who voted for his removal is a witch-hunt which won’t succeed and could widen party divisions.
On Sunday, Zuma charged that those who had two consciences needed to “make space in the National Assembly for those who have an ANC conscience”. He said the MPs had contravened the ANC constitution, were taking the party for granted and he would be “happy if the party took a tough decision”.
Zuma said he was shocked that even ANC disciplinary committee chairperson (Derek Hanekom) was implicated in the matter. The axed tourism minister heads the committee and has been vocal in calling for Zuma to step down.
Political analyst Dumisani Hlophe said the witch-hunt was unfortunate. “This is why the secret vote was applied so that people could vote according to their own volition. If it’s a secret vote and people look out to see who voted which way, that’s a witch-hunt… ”
Hlophe said the development “tells you the ANC has not moved any closer to managing its own internal risks”.
Another analyst, Ongama Mtimka, said it was “very scandalous” for Zuma to be calling for action against the MPs: “I don’t think he’s going to succeed in this because the ANC is so split in the middle.”
Ralph Mathekga, a political analyst, said it would be impossible for Zuma to know how the MPs voted. “They are going to persecute people based on suspicion on how they voted. The secret ballot is protected by the constitution. You will actually be going against their constitutional right if you go after them.”
Mathekga said Zuma was in trouble and looking for victims. “He knows their conduct might gain traction within the party and that might end with Zuma losing the ANC elective conference in December,” he said, adding the planned purge was about Zuma wanting to consolidate his power and make sure his preferred candidate succeeded him when he steps down as ANC leader.
If people look out to see who voted which way, that’s a witch-hunt