President Jacob Zuma has once again emerged victorious after the party’s extended national working committee on Tuesday rejected the ANC’s Integrity Commission’s recommendation for him to step down.
Instead, ANC insiders say, his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe and treasurer general Zweli Mkhize were forced to apologise to the president for criticising him in public after his decision to remove finance minister Pravin Gordhan, his deputy Mcebisi Jonas and several other cabinet ministers and deputy ministers.
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Initially, the three top six officials had publicly distanced themselves to Zuma’s decision to reshuffle his cabinet, saying he did not consult but merely informed them about the executive changes.
It is understood, however, that during the meeting, ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete contradicted Ramaphosa, Mantashe and Mkhize, when she told senior party leaders attending the NWC that president Zuma did consult the officials but the three differed with his decision. The ANC is expected to address the media on the outcome of the NWC meeting on Wednesday morning.
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On Tuesday night, the party mistakenly sent notes about its NWC meeting.
“This communication was sent out in error, is not an official statement of the ANC neither does it represent the views of the ANC. It should thus not be used for the purposes of reporting. The ANC will convene a media briefing tomorrow, 5th April 2017 to give feedback to society and the media on the outcomes of the National Working Committee as confirmed earlier,” said ANC spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa.
Issues that were discussed at the meeting included:
- Change of leadership and attendant issues
- Rebuilding trust in society
- Management of Alliance tensions
- Markets should not dictate to the movement
- Officials managing NWC, defence of the ANC where National Office fails, Officials’ apologies for display of disunity, using Constitution where it suits them, explain your ill discipline
- ANC must go back to provinces and explain
- DP and President with IC who sought to meet with all the National Official
- Current environment
- View of the Officials that there has not been a discussion within the structures of this ANC on this matter, it was agreed that the Integrity Commission should allow for the leadership to engage on it
- Letter raised – disowned by the IC and agreed that it shall be withdrawn
- Measured approach to providing explanation to what transpired
- Posture and how leadership projects itself
- Condemn behaviour of SACP and COSATU
- Cde Kathrada Funeral – manner in which some NEC members and Ministers behaved
- Mobilising by Cde Pravin
- Establishment of alternative platforms
- Comments attributed to ANC Gauteng PEC
- Motion of no confidence
- All National Officials to address media briefing and Caucus
- Policy certainty
- Fiscal policy has not changed
- Rated on the basis of political interests
- Support to newly appointed deployees
- Building of monitoring and evaluation capacity at Luthuli (institutionalisation, accountability framework)
- Communication at Luthuli House must be for all
- How do we understand the challenges facing us?
- Behaviour of alliance partners hurting the organisation
- Decisive behaviour by the officials
- Divisions within the organisation
- Tolerance to deviant behaviour
- Entrench authority to lead
- Leaks in the organisation
- Silence of the Communications Team on newly appointed teams
- Focus on ANC programm es, distractions created by Conferences
- What should constitute minimum programme moving forward – speaking to the substantive issues
- Exercise patience of different views, synthesise them to emerge what could be best way forward
- We are weaker when we show divisions internally
- Cannot just malign view that we differ with, must be entertained in a credible structure of the organisation
- Prevail to give accountable and legitimate leadership to society
- Engagement with comrades who have been removed
- Propagate positivity in society
- Reshuffle triggered resurgence of dead movement #ZumaMustFall
- Firm beliefthat they can remove President Zuma
- Mobilised within the state, works with opposition, disgruntled ANC members
- Who must determine the leaders and agenda of the ANC
- Expectation of members of the ANC of the National Officials
- Mobilisation is not a spontaneous act
- Met reflected on the mater
- Impact on the unity of the movement
- Taken steps to correct these shortcomings
- Minimise antagonisms within the movement
- Review Political Committee and Strategising Committee
- Public discord compounded by
- Collectivism which will give support and credence to the process
- Value the quality members bring to the debates
- Multifaceted impact of the events
- Complexities cannot be swept under the carpet
- How do we deal with some of our comrades becoming part of a force united against us
- Renew and rebuild ANC
- Sustained contestation over the ANC and Treasury
- Character assassinations in traditional and new media
- Sustained destabilisation of the ANC since 2012
- Contestation towards 2017/ National Conference repositioning
- Pronouncements of the Leagues must be engaged by the National Officials
- Unfortunate actions of the Integrity Commission
- With humility, common appreciation of what we face as challenges
- Restore confidence in society
- Irreparable breakdown of the relationship between the President and Former Finance Minister
- Overarching message of unity
- Disassociate with mobilisation for discontent
- Restore confidence in society
- Fractured and ructions at the highest level
- Overarching message of unity (not just the organisation but the country)
- Nothing must be impossible or a challenge that is insurmountable for the ANC to manage. No choice but to find one another
- ANC as a leader of society – social mobilisation, intended to weaken the ANC
- Past four days have been very difficult for the ANC and the country
- Prevailing contradictions. SA problem is a class struggle. Removal of the President willnot resolve such contradictions
- Interests of the ANC and motive forces should be paramount
- Leadership cannot be blind to the calamitous challenges we are facing, such would be dangerous to the NDR
- Decision to downgrade SA was taken on Thursday before the reshuffle
- Arguments based on political stability and policy certainity
- Not weakness in the macro economic fundamentals
- Would changes in the Executive mean changes in policy direction of the ANC
- Perceived risks based on unscientific forecasts
- ANc led government remains committed to same fiscal framework based on fiscal consolidation and the quest for inclusive growth
- Continuining partnership with all societal partners
- Decisive intervention required, struggle we must engage and work we need to do
- Pending pronouncements by Fitch and Moody’s
- Concern on impact on the poor