ANC factional divisions have hit Sanco treasurer Roy Moodley
Roy Moodley, the treasurer of the South African National Civic Organisation and a benefactor of former president Jacob Zuma, has been kicked out by Sanco’s leadership.
Sanco, which has branches countrywide, is the ANC’s alliance partner in the civic sector and has, like trade union federation Cosatu, been a victim of the infighting in the governing party leading up to its 54th elective conference in December last year.
Moodley, a close ally of Zuma who allegedly paid him R1-million a month for four months from his Royal Security company after Zuma became president of the country, appears to be the victim of a backlash against Zuma supporters in Sanco in the wake of his removal from office by the ANC.
Moodley has denied the R1-million-a-month allegation.
But the controversial businessman has refused to step down, saying, if he resigns, he will only do so after the next meeting of the Sanco national executive committee (NEC).
And, although Moodley says he will abide by a formal NEC directive to stand down in June, he may still contest the Sanco presidency at its national conference in July.
On April 24, Sanco general secretary Skhumbuzo Mpanza wrote to the civic organisation’s NEC stating that its national working committee (NWC) was implementing an NEC decision on April 7 that Moodley should step down as treasurer.
“This serves to advise you that the NWC, at its meeting of April 21, resolved to accept the resignation of the national treasurer after considering the national office bearers’ report and its recommendations on the matter,” Mpanza said.
He added that the Sanco national chairperson, Dorothy Mkhwanazi, had assumed Moodley’s duties as treasurer in an acting capacity with immediate effect.
Moodley, who has threatened Sanco with a high court action should he be forced out of office before the next NEC meeting, told the Mail & Guardian that his bid for the Sanco presidency had “caused tensions”, resulting in the move to oust him.
“There was no such decision [by the NEC]. I sent a letter saying that there was no such a thing as somebody acting [in my position as treasurer] and that’s it,” Moodley said. “I am still treasurer. I am aware of the letter [to the NEC]. I was going to resign but I told them I am only going to resign after the next NEC sits.”
Asked whether he would still contest the Sanco presidency, Moodley said: “Yes and no.”
“Yes, in that I have been approached by a lot of the secretaries to stand, but no, in that I haven’t actually decided yet whether I should take the position of president or not,” Moodley said. “That is what is causing the tensions now. I don’t want all this tension and headache and division. Maybe I should just quit this thing but I will decide after the NEC meeting.”
Moodley said “everybody” wanted him “to be the president” because he had “carried Sanco to the level where it is. But some of them [the leadership] want to be president.’’
A Moodley ally in Sanco in KwaZulu-Natal said the pressure to make him resign was political and unprocedural. “We told him not to resign,” the Sanco leader said.
Mpanza told the M&G on Wednesday that Moodley was “no longer treasurer” and that he had been informed of the NEC decision that he should resign or be suspended. Moodley had agreed to resign, he said, a decision “accepted by the NWC”.
“We are implementing a decision of the NEC of Sanco,” Mpanza said. “We received a lawyer’s letter [about Moodley]. We are in a process of responding.”