/ 8 December 2008

ANC bid to weed out defectors

ANC believes there will be further resignations by senior members in the weeks ahead. Cope has been staggering the defections to maximise publicity.

The ANC is planning to kick out all ”disloyal” members from the party — including former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka — suspected of being linked to the Congress of the People (Cope) before they can announce their defection.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, who stepped down as deputy president in September after president Thabo Mbeki was dismissed, is suspected of being one of a number of prominent ANC members who will publicly announce their defection from the ANC to Cope in coming weeks.

The Mail & Guardian has reliably learnt that the ANC will pass a special resolution at its next national executive committee (NEC) meeting later this month, allowing it to dismiss all disloyal members without going through a formal disciplinary process.

Party insiders said the ANC’s top brass has already mandated the party’s constitution sub-committee to find ways of purging disloyal members without protracted disciplinary measures.

The ANC has accused Cope leaders, including former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa and former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota, of using the resignations of prominent ANC leaders to destabilise the ANC and win support.

The ANC believes there will be further resignations by senior ANC members in the weeks ahead. Cope has been staggering the defections to maximise publicity.

A senior ANC NEC member told the M&G this week that the party was ”gatvol” with disloyal party leaders who worked for Cope from within ANC structures.

He said the ANC was aware that some leaders remained in the party to work against it ahead of next year’s election.
The idea was to use the resolution to get rid of such elements.

It is understood that among those to be targeted are Mlambo-Ngcuka, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, former provincial and local government minister Sydney Mufamadi, former ANC NEC member and businessperson Saki Macozoma, ANC North West secretary Supra Mahumapelo, Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto and former ANC Youth League leader Rueben Mohlaloga.

The ANC leader said the party believed Mlambo-Ngcuka was planning to announce her resignation before or during the Cope’s national conference on December 16.

”We are aware that they [Cope] want Phumzile [Mlambo-Ngcuka] to play a crucial part in their election campaign. They want her to be the face of the party.”

The plan was to remove her and others before they announced their resignation.

Mlambo-Ngcuka could not be contacted for comment.

Meanwhile the party has not abandoned the carrot approach as well.

The M&G has learnt from sources at Luthuli House that Mahumapelo has been offered inducements not to defect to Cope — one being study at Harvard University in the United States and the other an ambassador’s position.

The Harvard University option would see the party paying his and his family’s expenses while he studies there for up to three years.

Both options would take him out of the country, preventing him from mobilising for Cope.

Mahumapelo denied being approached, but said if he was approached he would remind the ANC leadership that the party’s branches have mandated him to lead the province and that he would ”find it difficult to agree to conditions that will end his term of office prematurely”.

As provincial secretary, Mahumapelo is a vital cog in the ANC machine in North West.

Other sources said the former North West health minister, Molefi Sefularo, was given the position of deputy national health minister to remove him from the province because he was suspected of working for Cope from within the ANC and considering defecting.

Last week City Press reported that Limpopo roads and transport minister Justice Pitso has been appointed South Africa’s new ambassador to China as part of the ruling party’s plans to remove him from ANC structures and to ensure that he doesn’t mobilise for Cope.