ANC man made to say sorry for ‘rats’ jibe

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 while 198 wanted him to keep his job. There were nine abstentions.

Among those who did not vote in support of Zuma were about 30 ANC MPs.

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

Amid calls for those who voted with the opposition to be identified and disciplined, Moonsamy, who is also a councillor, took to social media to claim money had changed hands.

Moonsamy shared the list of 26 MPs suspected of voting with the opposition despite being warned he was inviting trouble,

Moonsamy said some on the list had taught them when “rats” betrayed the ANC “we must put a tyre around their 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.

Spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said the post cast serious aspersions on certain ANC MPs without providing credible evidence to support a claim of an amount of R2 billion used to influence voting in the National Assembly.

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

On Thursday night, Moonsamy took to Facebook to confirm ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma had ordered him to withdraw his statements unconditionally.

“I withdraw my statements unconditionally… as a respected and disciplined member of the ANC,” he wrote.

ANC member Edward Zuma was also forced last week to apologise after he made disparaging remarks about former ministers Derek Hanekom and Pravin Gordhan.