African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe has dismissed President Thabo Mbeki’s call for the party to take action against axed deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.
Motlanthe told the Sunday Times on Friday that he did not see any need for a disciplinary hearing.
”I do not see how the mere act of being released from Cabinet can cause one to be disciplined. The ANC can only discipline you if you are in breach of its constitution,” he said.
This comes after a national working committee (NWC) meeting held last week where Mbeki advocated for action against Madlala-Routledge, arguing that she had undermined not only him but also the ANC as a whole.
Motlanthe said his job was to ensure the former minister’s ”safe landing as an ordinary MP without any hassle”.
”She might have breached Cabinet protocol and the president has dealt with that in government,” he said.
According to the weekly, Motlanthe has raised concerns about what he believes are Mbeki’s attempts to ”impose” the government’s decisions on the ANC.
The NWC has mandated the secretary general to handle the matter and then report back to it after meeting Madlala-Routledge. — Sapa