Suspended secretary general Ace Magashule (right) might be headed to the disciplinary committee while national chairperson Gwede Mantashe was implicated by the Zondo commission report last week. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The ANC plans a massive overhaul of its committees, with some prominent names outside of its national executive committee (NEC) likely to join the ruling party’s crucial disciplinary committee as it prepares for the fallout from the damning Zondo commission report.
ANC leaders who have been implicated in the report include national chairperson Gwede Mantashe and NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane. The report found that there is cause for criminal investigation against the two.
A document compiled by the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) during its 28 February meeting — a copy of which the Mail & Guardian has seen — proposes the restructuring of key committees, including those on economic development and the national disciplinary committee and its appeals body.
Suspended secretary general Ace Magashule might be headed to the disciplinary committee should calls for him to be expelled start to take shape.
The crucial economic transformation committee, which is charged with developing discussion documents aimed at accelerating economic growth and social inclusion, will see Nkhensani Kubayi taking over the role of chairperson, replacing Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
This may be a move by President Cyril Ramaphosa to position Kubayi — one of his key allies — as the next finance minister. Kubayi has also been touted as a possible contender for the ANC deputy president position as well as secretary general when the party goes to its elective conference in December.
Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni noted that the economic transformation committee was central to directing the country’s economic policy.
“You always look to it to come up with ideas that will move society to a better place,” Mnguni said, adding that despite not having an economic qualification, Kubayi was not necessarily a stranger to business, having previously been the tourism minister.
“Tourism is very much business-led, but I think the biggest problem of the ANC is having sustained an individual like Godongwana too long in that position. He became the face and he became the policy guru for the ANC, to a point that it almost appeared like there were no alternative voices within the ANC who understood ANC policy to that level. I don’t think he understood ANC policy to that level, but he was more of an attractive face for the ANC in that position.”
Former head of the National Prosecuting Authority, advocate Vusi Pikoli, who instituted the historic corruption charges against former president Jacob Zuma in 2005, will be among the ANC members charged with disciplining party leaders..
The NWC has proposed that disciplinary committee chair Mildred Oliphant be replaced by Ralph Mgijima. Other notable proposed names include Thandi Orleyn who was part of the Save SA campaign, former deputy minister of basic education Enver Surty, former legal adviser in the former National Intelligence Agency, advocate Kerensa Millard, and businessman Robinson Ramaite.
NEC members who have also been added to the list include Susan Shabangu, Faith Muthambi, Lindiwe Maseko and Nocawe Mafu.
The document proposes that the NEC appoint at least six members but not more than 10 from its membership and other structures of the ANC. One of them, it says, will be designated as chairperson, to constitute the national disciplinary committee and its appeals committee.
ANC veteran Johnny de Lange has been proposed as Mokonyane’s replacement to chair the disciplinary appeals body. De Lange was one of the prominent names recorded in the infamous spy tapes which led to the NPA’s charges against Zuma being withdrawn. In 2012, the Sunday Times reported on 35 phone calls between the then Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and NPA top brass — including Willie Hofmeyr, former prosecutions head Moketedi Mpshe, Pikoli, Bulelani Ngcuka and De Lange — which detailed extensive attempts at interference by the government of former president Thabo Mbeki in the prosecution of former top cop Jackie Selebi.
Other notable names proposed for the appeals body are Krish Govender, former co-chairperson of the Law Society of South Africa, Max Boqwana, chief executive of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, ANC MP Lindiwe Hendricks, former cooperative governance deputy minister Ntombazana Botha, as well as former NEC member and Mbeki ally Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.
Proposed NEC members on the disciplinary appeals committee list — which must be approved by the NEC — include Ramaphosa ally Firoz Cachalia, Sylvia Lucas and Phumulo Masualle.
Other committees set for a major shake-up and which will leave some NEC members out in the cold are the peace and stability committee, whose chairperson Tony Yengeni — a staunch ally of Zuma and Magashule — will be replaced by David Mahlobo.
Political analyst Mnguni questioned the list of non-NEC members proposed for the disciplinary committee, saying the ANC constitution was very clear that members must have held membership for 10 years. He said the likes of Pikoli may be forced to prove their membership status to the party’s highest decision-making body.
“Anybody who is proposed as a non-NEC member but wishing to occupy a leadership responsibility that is equivalent to [that of] an NEC member must prove at least that they have held membership of the ANC for 10 years because that is the entry point of that level. If they have not held membership for that long it might undermine the prescript of the constitution and what it stands for,” Mnguni added.
One NEC member who spoke to the M&G said it was clear that the disciplinary committee was being restructured to deal with wayward members, with Magashule top of the list.
“This is clearly contrived to benefit Ramaphosa and his allies. This committee is populated by individuals who are factional. I have never known a disciplinary committee to be populated by non-NEC members. I don’t know how the NWC agreed to this list,” the party leader who is aligned to Magashule said.
Another ANC leader said that the facelift of the disciplinary committee was a sign that the Ramaphosa faction was intending to expel Magashule.
“The Ramaphosa faction wants to decisively deal with Magashule and others. All this will do is to make it easier to expel him. He [Ramaphosa] is putting these people [on the disciplinary committee] so that he will be seen with his hands clean. Cachalia and [Mondli] Gungubele were the two people who advocated for Magashule to go. If we are saying that this is about renewal, why is it one-sided? Where are individuals like [former ANC treasurer general and Mpumalanga premier] Mathews Phosa,” the party insider said.
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