<\/p>\n
Self-proclaimed \u2018Commander of Discipline in the ANC\u2019, newly-elected secretary-general Fikile Mbalula asserted his authority, and by extension, the authority of President Cyril Ramaphosa on those party members who did not toe the party line.<\/p>\n
In his first press briefing as Secretary-General, alongside Pule Mabe, the feisty Mbalula gave a stern and direct warning to those who broke ranks and voted for the adoption of the Phala Phala report in Parliament recently.<\/p>\n
Co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and four of its MPs, including Mervyn Dirks, Supra Mahumapelo and Mosebenzi Zwane went against a party decision to vote against a report to impeach President Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n
This move has now seen them on the receiving end of disciplinary processes within the party and analysts and insiders predicting Dlamini Zuma to be the first casualty in Ramaphosa\u2019s imminent cabinet reshuffle.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiscipline is going to be important,\u201d Mbalula said on Monday night. \u201cThere is no self respecting political party that will go to Parliament and vote to impeach its own President. That decision can only be taken by the ANC. No member we have sent to Parliament will exist on his own and have his own conscience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want your own conscience, then open your own political party, not here. Here it is democratic centrally and the centre must hold. Whether you like it or not, the centre must hold,\u201d Mbalula warned.<\/p>\n
He said that while he has enough of an army to take on the oppositions parties such as the DA and EFF, he should not also have to deal with another army from within.<\/p>\n
The new Secretary-General\u2019s stern warning to those who defy the party dominated much of the late evening press briefing on Monday when he told members of the media that the ANC\u2019s 55th National Conference was instructing them to act decisively against acts of ill-discipline.<\/p>\n
He said that some of the members\u2019 behaviour was \u201cuncouth\u201d, \u201cun-ANC\u201d and \u201cdisrespectful\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t confuse anarchy and ill-discipline to revolutionary conduct or militancy. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnarchy is anarchy, being uncouth and disrespectful must be dealt with.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have an issue, you\u2019ve got NEC members who attack the president, you\u2019ve got NEC members who contradict themselves in public, the membership follows and then social media insulting leadership giving an opinion about everything. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot that ANC members must not have an opinion but the centre must hold,\u201d Mbalula said.<\/p>\n
His direct and stern warnings did not heed, as Mbalula further stated that he would not allow every National Executive Committee (NEC) member to speak to the media about their views and feelings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not going to happen, it’s not going to happen under my authority that I\u2019ve been given by this conference as the custodian of the ANC constitution. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I promise you one thing, there will be no lawlessness in the ANC. <\/p>\n
\u201cThose who are continuing with those shenanigans, they must be ready for me. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be me and them,\u201d Mbalula said.<\/p>\n
He said that the ANC must behave like a party, but it has not been conducting its business like a well-oiled machine. <\/p>\n
He said that even a stokvel is better managed.<\/p>\n
Mbalula also vowed to lead from the front and promised to be better disciplined himself \u201cso no more tweeting at midnight from my side\u201d.<\/p>\n
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za<\/em><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Self-proclaimed \u2018Commander of Discipline in the ANC\u2019, newly-elected secretary-general Fikile Mbalula asserted his authority, and by extension, the authority of President Cyril Ramaphosa on those party members who did not toe the party line. In his first press briefing as Secretary-General, alongside Pule Mabe, the feisty Mbalula gave a stern and direct warning to those […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[2475,357,389,3491,2015,7439,12624,3894,13550,3186],"class_list":["post-161198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-anc","tag-fikile","tag-line","tag-mbalulas","tag-newlyelected","tag-refuse","tag-secretarygeneral","tag-stern","tag-toe","tag-warning"],"yoast_head":"\n