South African Communist Party general secretary Solly Mapaila
The South African Communist Party’s (SACP) Solly Mapaila has labelled the axing of ‘rebel’ ANC MPs as selective discipline.
The second deputy general secretary was speaking at SACP’s first plenary session of the 14th Congress Central Committee on Friday in Rhodesfield, East Rand.
Mapaila’s comments come after the ANC wrote to the former minister of tourism and disciplinary chair, Derek Hanekom, asking him to justify why he should not be removed from his position as chair.
ANC MP, Dr Makhosi Khoza was also targeted last week when she was fired as the committee chair of Parliament’s public service and administration portfolio.
The two have, on more than one occasion, spoken out against President Jacob Zuma, and were seen as leading the anti-Zuma charge in the run up to the vote of motion of no confidence which took place under a secret ballot earlier in August.
Hanekom and Khoza were soft targets for the ANC and they should in fact be commended, said Mapaila. He pointed out when the president differed with the ANC’s position on the land policy when it was tabled in Parliament, he – and others who differed with ANC policy – were not disciplined.
Mapaila also went a step further.
“Not one single member who came out of those Gupta leaks information…has been actually disciplined, but they just go and try and discipline members who have spoken out on the value system of the ANC, who have never differed with the ANC positions, who have only said they cannot subject themselves to undoing the work of the ANC,” he told journalists.
“We think it’s shocking that the ANC can undermine itself in this form to try and please one single individual – President Zuma who, we must continue to emphasise, must step down from office,” he said.
Mapaila said that urgent and drastic measures needed to be taken in the next three months leading up to the election of the next ANC president to save the movement from ruin.
He said that it was up to the ANC to pick an incorruptible leader who has the interests of the people at heart. He warned that the election process must be democratic and credible.
“The party has never taken a decision that we won’t work with any particular leader…We are in an alliance with the liberation movement that is anchored on principles and value systems that are geared towards serving the people, if that’s eroded, there is no basis for us to have an alliance,” said Mapaila.
Mapaila rubbished the sale of Gupta-owned media houses ANN7 and TNA to former government spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi as ‘bogus’.
“The key buyer is one who has participated in defending the wrong things that the Guptas are doing and a former frontman of the Guptas. It’s another way of the Guptas – at an arm’s length – trying to continue to have a sense of control,” he said.
He said the SACP was meeting before Sunday to discuss the trajectory post-congress, preparations for December elections, and the way forward to present to the Augmented Central Committee when they meet again in December.
Mapaila said they would be meeting with the ANC on Monday. – News24