ANC orders Masina to apologise on Twitter for his rant
Backing of Malema views earns rebuke
Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina is expected to retract the statements he made about his party, the ANC, on a Twitter outburst and apologise .
The controversial mayor is said to have been hauled over the coals by the ANC in Ekurhuleni, which he serves as chairperson, and asked to explain why he agreed, on a public platform, with opposition EFF leader Julius Malema on economic policy that differed from that of the ANC.
Masina took to Twitter to say that he backed Malema’s statement criticising the reopening of the economy, calling for the collapse of the ‘white economy’ and “nationalisation of the commanding heights of the economy”.
However, Masina is said to have managed to dodge the bullet after he explained in a prepared presentation that he only agreed with certain aspects of Malema’s views and not everything he was saying.
According to ANC Ekurhuleni spokesperson Sonnyboy Masingi, Masina was told that his statements, which included that the ANC was an organisation of cowards, as well as his threat to resign, were unacceptable.
Masingi said regional leaders agreed with Masina that he would retract his threat to resign and apologise on Twitter.
“It made a lot of sense even though he was wrong on certain policy issues and we agreed that he must retract those statements that he made on Twitter,” Masingi said.
“The problem is that we cannot control him on his personal account, but logic would say that he must retract and apologise there. So yes, we definitely expect him to apologise there because that’s where he made those statements.”
Masingi said at no point during their almost four-hour meeting did Masina offer to resign.
Masingi could not say when Masina would retract his comments.
Masina could not be reached for comment as his phone rang unanswered and he did not respond to text messages sent by Sowetan since Tuesday.
The ANC Ekurhuleni regional secretary TK Nciza said: “Any perspective or idea that supports the collapse of the economy is not a policy position of the ANC.”
Gauteng provincial chairperson Jacob Khawe said provincial leaders were concerned with the continuous contravention of ANC social media policies by various party leaders.
Masina, ANC veteran Carl Niehaus and finance minister Tito Mboweni have been rebuked several times for not toeing the party line.