Zuma an ANC headache, says analyst
Zuma an ANC headache, says analyst
THE ANC has been accused of being inconsistent in decision-making.
This comes after the party postponed its former president Jacob Zuma’s disciplinary hearing due to what it called “safety reasons”.
Political analyst Dr Zamo Mbandlwa said there many factors that made the ANC indecisive, such as Zuma’s standing in the party and the Phala Phala saga.
Mbandlwa said the party was not only suffering from indecisiveness but inconsistency as well, when it came to decision-making.
“It is very difficult, even for the society, and I think it is difficult for the general membership of the ANC to predict what the party will do in the future. This is because the party is changing everyday. They take a decision today and change it tomorrow,” Mbandlwa said.
“On former president Zuma, there were so many different views from leaders of the party at a national level. You hear the secretary-general saying something else, and the president saying something else as well, so it was very difficult for the people of the country.”
Mbandlwa said such contradictions made it impossible for people to understand what was the ANC’s position at national level.
“When the party took the decision that they are not going to discipline the former president during this period on preparation for the elections, it was the third decision of the organisation because initially it had said it will investigate the matter. Then take a decision after the elections, suddenly they indicate that they will discipline Zuma and now that decision has changed again.”
Mbandlwa said the issue of security was not just based on the buildings and the disciplinary committee members, adding that there was going a large number of people coming out in support of Zuma.
During the party’s media briefing yesterday, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the decision to postpone Zuma’s disciplinary hearing was taken following a security assessment which found there was a potential for clashes between the party’s supporters and those of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).
Mbalula said he could not disclose who conducted the security assessment. He said what was of concern was the safety of both the ANC and MKP supporters.
“We do not want something that happened in the past like when the DA came here and then there was violence. It was minimal and this one can be big so we have stopped it. Besides, the ANC disciplinary processes are internal processes,” Mbalula said.
The ANC suspended Zuma in January this year for bringing it into disrepute after he announced that he would be campaigning and voting for the MKP.
Zuma was served with a disciplinary hearing notice last Thursday.
The Star