ANC MP and Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is to face disciplinary action after she went against the party line and voted with the opposition at the recent debate on the adoption of the Section 89 Independent Panel report on Phala Phala in parliament.
The report, if adopted on Tuesday, may have seen impeachment proceedings initiated against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In a letter sent to Dlamini Zuma from the party’s treasurer general and acting secretary general, Paul Mashatile, the ANC says it is starting the process on the basis of an “act of defiance” in Parliament after she voted against the party line on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the party held a vote to decide whether to adopt the Section 89 report into the burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in 2020.
Rule 25.9 of the ANC’s constitution says the party has jurisdiction to discipline any member, office bearer, or public representative for committing acts of misconduct.
One of the clauses under the rules speaks to members who fail, refuse or reject to abide by the provisions of the ANC constitution pertaining to the rules, regulations and resolutions.
“According to the report you voted, together with a number of opposition parties, and contrary to the position of the NEC, and the ANC Caucus, for adoption of the Report,” reads the ANC letter to Zuma.
“Rule 24.4 of the ANC constitution provides that: ‘The ANC shall have jurisdiction to discipline any member, office bearer of public representative for committing any act of misconduct as contained in Rule 25.17 below as a member of the ANC and/or by virtue of his or her contract of deployment and/or by virtue of his or her membership of any of the structures of the ANC’.
Furthermore, Rule 25.3 provides that: ‘Any member, office bearer or public representative who fails, refuses and/or neglects to abide by the provisions of the Constitution of the ANC, its Standing Orders, Rules, Regulations, Resolutions and policies adopted or made in terms of the Constitution shall be liable to be disciplined in terms of this Constitution’.”
Source: Eyewitness News, Daily Maverick, Business Day, Times Live, The South African, image from Twitter: @AdvoBarryRoux