<\/p>\n
Cape Town – The disciplinary proceedings against ANC MPs who broke rank with the party and voted for adoption of the Section 89 panel on Phala Phala will not be withdrawn.<\/p>\n
This is according to newly-elected secretary-general Fikile Mbalula when addressing the media at his first press briefing in the position on Monday night.<\/p>\n
Mbalula said the defiance of MPs in Parliament a week ago had been referred to the party\u2019s disciplinary committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a straightforward disciplinary issue. The national executive committee (NEC) was briefed about that matter, and that is where it stands and it will not be withdrawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe disciplinary committee of the ANC will be seized with the matter and it will be finalised as soon as possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma was the first to vote for the report to be adopted on December 13, against the instructions of the NEC. Joining her were ANC MPs Mervyn Dirks, Supra Mahumapelo and Mosebenzi Zwane.<\/p>\n
Thandi Mahambehlala initially stated the \u2018party line\u2019 when asked to cast her ballot during the roll call voting, and then said \u201cyes\u201d when asked again. She later stated that she was voting against the report when MPs were asked to correct their vote.<\/p>\n
However, re-elected national chairperson Gwede Mantashe said that even MPs who stayed away from the special sitting when the National Assembly voted against the Section 89 report were in hot water.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody who voted against the party line, five of them, and a number who opted not to come \u2013 all those people … the new NEC will have to interrogate their behaviour,\u201d Mantashe said. \u201cThe outcome of that process can\u2019t be determined prematurely, but they must be interrogated.<\/p>\n
They voted against the party in public,\u201d he said. Mantashe said so-called \u201c conscious voting\u201d was actually a fallacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are all in a party political system. Everybody in that Parliament did not contest a constituency,\u201d he said. Mantashe argued that ANC MPs could be \u201cfree agents\u201d when colleagues from other political parties toed their parties\u2019 line.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou comply with discussions, and you must be part of discussions and actually abide by the results of that process. There is no such party political system that allows people to be free agents,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mantashe and Mbalula\u2019s comments came against the backdrop of the national conference failing to discuss the integrity committee\u2019s report on the Phala Phala saga. <\/p>\n
The report was part of the organisational report presented to the plenary in a closed session by former ANC deputy president David Mabuza.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould there be any developments in relation to that we will communicate accordingly. At the present moment there has not been anything about Phala Phala,\u201d Mbalula said.<\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken the Section 89 report on judicial review at the Constitutional Court.<\/p>\n
Mantashe told the SABC on Tuesday he believed that processes should be respected.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people are involved in a process, you don\u2019t stifle their rights.<\/p>\n
The president has a right as a citizen and an individual to review the report if he is not happy about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mantashe said the outcome of the court process would determine the future.<\/p>\n
Cape Times<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cape Town – The disciplinary proceedings against ANC MPs who broke rank with the party and voted for adoption of the Section 89 panel on Phala Phala will not be withdrawn. This is according to newly-elected secretary-general Fikile Mbalula when addressing the media at his first press briefing in the position on Monday night. Mbalula […]<\/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":[93,13138,1558,1121,25,8392,3697,7289],"class_list":["post-161327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-face","tag-favour","tag-mbalula","tag-mps","tag-music","tag-phala","tag-report","tag-voted"],"yoast_head":"\n