ANC calls its former presidents to order on Ramaphosa

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe has called out former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma for their public comments on party president Cyril Ramaphosa, urging them to limit their contributions to internal structures of the party.

Mabe said on Tuesday that the ANC top six would meet Mbeki and Zuma after their criticism of Ramaphosa last week.

Both Mbeki and Zuma were scathing of the ANC and Ramaphosa’s leadership when speaking at separate engagements at the weekend. Zuma went as far as to call Ramaphosa a “corrupt traitor” over allegations relating to Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.

Mbeki said the ANC leadership would have no choice but to discuss whether Ramaphosa should step aside. A parliamentary panel will look into whether he has an impeachable case to answer to. Mbeki has been critical of Ramaphosa, decrying the slow pace of Ramaphosa’s government in implementing its social compact.

The pair have since received criticism from provincial structures in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the North West over their remarks.

The provinces came to Ramaphosa’s defence, hauling Zuma over the coals for saying Ramaphosa was corrupt. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said Ramaphosa had not been found guilty by any court of law. The provinces also reminded the former party leaders that they could raise their concerns within party structures.

Mabe said the national office bearers, who include Ramaphosa, deputy president David Mabuza, treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, national chair Gwede Mantashe and secretary-general co-ordinator Gwen Ramokgopa, would schedule a meeting with the former presidents.

The meeting, Mabe said, would be aimed at “understanding” and “reflecting” on what he said were “public spats” that were not helping the ANC’s renewal and unity agenda.

National executive committee (NEC) meetings “provide an excellent platform for them [former presidents] to deposit their views ... The ANC does not believe in public spats,” said Mabe.

It is not clear when these meetings will take place.

Mabe said the ANC believed Mbeki and Zuma should allow law enforcement officials space to do their work without making interruptive comments.

“After all, it is those former leaders who must play an important role in the unity and renewal of the ANC.

“Where they’ve got views that relate to matters that are before law enforcement agencies, like the Phala Phala matter, the sitting president of the ANC has already expressed his willingness to co-operate. It is only fair to allow those processes to arrive at their own logical conclusions through law enforcement agencies,” he said.

“We should allow those processes to be undertaken without the utterances being made out there.”

Mabe echoed remarks by the provincial structures that the former presidents could raise their concerns internally in the highest decision-making body between conferences, the NEC, on which they sit and participate.

“They are encouraged to use that platform to raise whatever issues they may have about the ANC. And we have been encouraged by their contributions in our own NEC meetings,” Mabe said.