As the African National Congress’ disciplinary committee gears up for the appearance of former president Jacob Zuma, who has been summoned to appear before the committee on Tuesday, a political analyst said the horse has already bolted.
Zuma faces charges of defying the ANC’s constitution, after he declared support for the newly-formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) opposition party, which he now leads ahead of the May 29 polls.
IOL reported on Thursday that the now much-anticipated hearing comes after the former president publicly announced that he will vote against the ANC in the upcoming elections.
Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Saturday, Prof André Duvenhage said the ANC leadership was afraid of acting decisively against Zuma when he announced his allegiance to an opposition party.
“When the whole Zuma thing came to the fore, the ANC decided as leadership not to act against him. Zuma in fact made a very brilliant move. He starts supporting MK party without resigning from the ANC, ending up somewhere in-between, and the ANC leadership was afraid that if they acted against him, this would create a split within the ANC,” he said.
“Now the split is there and we can clearly see it in terms of the organization and mobilization of the MK party. Now they have made a decision to act, I believe this is very late and I must question the timing of this decision. It comes at a time when the ANC is facing a real election threat.”
He pointed that different surveys have been indicating a dwindling support base for the ANC, with some forecasting a victory below 50 percent, while recent surveys after the formation of the MK party pegging the ruling ANC below 40 percent in the polls.
Duvenhage said this has now spurred the ANC into action, but “strong leadership” from the party’s president Cyril Ramaphosa is missing.
“It seems as if the ANC now wants to take drastic action, but what I am missing is strong leadership from Cyril Ramaphosa to act in a decisive way. It seems to me as if he is afraid for Jacob Zuma and the implications of action against Jacob Zuma,” he said.
IOL has previously reported that the ANC’s disciplinary committee has set down the hearing for Tuesday at the Luthuli House, the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg central.
The ANC has been indecisive about whether Zuma is still a party member or not.
Zuma is now the leader and face of the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which he mentioned in December when he launched the party, stating that this is where his vote is going.
IOL