Reject reports by Cyril Ramaphosa and Paul Mashatile at ANC conference, Zuma says

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and the party's acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile may have a tough time delivering their reports at the party's national conference next week, if former president Jacob Zuma has his way.

On Wednesday, Zuma called on ANC branches to ask themselves whether current leaders seeking re-election to various posts should be allowed to deliver their political and organisational reports.

“After all this, as delegates you will go there and listen to him deliver the organisational report? We as branches will allow a person who has admitted to buying that position to address us?”

Zuma was referring to Ramaphosa's CR17 campaign funds that were used to lobby support for his successful bid for the presidency in 2017. 

Zuma said the Phala Phala scandal and previous allegations that Ramaphosa had been a CIA spy had brought the ANC into disrepute. 

The former president was speaking in Mandeni in the General Gizenga Mpanza region in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Zuma urged party branches not to allow the outgoing president to address the conference. 

ANC treasurer-general Mashatile was also in Zuma’s line of fire.

“There is this other one who has two to three positions. He has a very important position of being treasurer-general, but he is also acting in a very serious position of secretary-general. He is also deputy secretary-general. Yet he is failing at the position he was elected for — he can't even pay ANC leaders. Will you allow that one too to deliver reports?” Zuma asked.

“You can't just keep quiet under such scandalous things. If you have not spoken to your branches, hurry before they go to conference. Give them a mandate, because we are speaking truth and refusing to sink the ANC at this conference.”

It is the outgoing president’s responsibility to deliver the political report while Mashatile in his capacity as acting secretary-general has to deliver the organisational report and a report on finances.  

Zuma said Ramaphosa had failed to lead the ANC and the country, with growing calls for him to steep down after the Phala Phala scandal. However, he said he was confused by the overwhelming support for the outgoing president from ANC structures as demonstrated in consolidated branch nominations. 

“There is a contradiction. For the first time we have a president who different sectors of society want to go, but the scanner says he is the most nominated. What a contradiction. 

“They love him in the ANC, according to the scanner. It is confusing because everyone complains about the state of the economy, load-shedding, but when there's an opportunity to elect a different leader they still choose this one,” said Zuma.

The scanner referred to is a device the ANC uses to scan each member’s ID and verify their membership before the branch meets.

“Even though there is no time, I implore delegates to sit and discuss a few issues they will take to the conference, no matter what,” said Zuma.

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