How Ace silenced dissent on VBS duo
● ANC secretary-general ordered to carry out proper consultations on return of officials implicated in looting of bank ● Those opposed to reinstatement say their voices were literally muted when they tried to make inputs during briefing
The ANC has temporarily shelved the return to office of the two controversial Limpopo officials after party secretarygeneral Ace Magashule was ordered to conduct proper consultations with affected people following objections to his earlier process.
The decision to reinstate ANC Limpopo deputy chairperson Florence Radzilani and provincial treasurer Danny Msiza who are implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank looting was again a sticking point at the governing party’s executive at the weekend on the manner in which consultations with lower structures were undertaken by Magashule.
The national executive committee (NEC) has now decided that Radzilani and Msiza’s return be further delayed as there have been a great deal of objections to the decision to reinstate the pair from various structures of the party.
Labour federation Cosatu, as well as the veteran’s league and the depositors who lost their money have objected to the return of the duo.
The ANC in Vhembe region, the women and youth leagues have said they were satisfied with the consultation and had accepted the decision.
However, Cosatu yesterday confirmed that it has rejected Magashule’s consultation by phone calls.
Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe
Pamla said Magashule called its general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali to ‘consult’ with him about the decision but that the latter had said he regarded the phone call as he was being informed of the decision and not being consulted.
“Cosatu explained this to the SG [that] a call on such a big decision that speaks to the clauses of the manifesto, that also speaks to the campaign of Cosatu that led to the assassination of some members in Limpopo is too big a topic to say a call is a consultation.
“So, thi s is an agenda item that needs to be presented in an alliance political council meeting and be discussed as a stand-alone issue.
“We don’t regard a phone call as a consultation. If I give you a call I’m just telling you something,” Pamla said.
The veteran’s league in Limpopo also wrote to Magashule’s office, saying the decision was “insensitive, morally repugnant, politically incorrect and incorrect”.
Magashule’s office was tasked with consulting the party’s lower structures and other relevant stakeholders about the contested NEC decision which was taken in June.
The NEC at the weekend heard objections to the manner in which these consultations were undertaken and ordered that they be carried out again, according to sources.
Two NEC members told Sowetan that in some instances, where the said consultations were done via Zoom meetings, those who wanted to raise concerns were [deliberately] muted.
“It was resolved [in the NEC] that these people are not coming back until there’s proper consultation with all the stakeholders,” said an insider.
“The ANC top officials went to Limpopo and told the branches that ‘this was the decision of the ANC and you are a lower structure so you listen to what the ANC NEC said, that’s it, we’re not discussing’.
“So, we raised that issue that that’s unacceptable that structures were told about the decisions of the NEC but not consulted.”
The objectors told Sowetan yesterday that they had not received any indication of when Magashule would consult with them properly. Chairperson of the VBS minority shareholders Wilson Muvhulawa told Sowetan yesterday that they had not received an indication of when they will be consulted.
Another insider said they were worried on how ANC was perceived in public when it comes to corruption.
“We said that currently we are defending ourselves all the time and are defending people who are doing wrong things.
“If we look at VBS, people who stole from the poor, we are saying they must come back, yet we are not telling the poor how we’re dealing with those, especially among us, who were involved in stealing the poor people’s money. It’s completely unacceptable because we must think about the poor all the time.”
Magashule’s could not be reached for comment as his phone was switched off. ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe did not respond to Sowetan’s requests for comment send via text.
We in Cosatu don’t regard a phone call to us as a consultation