At least one political analyst believes that some African National Congress (ANC) Members of Parliament who disobeyed a party directive to vote towards the Section 89 Phala Phala report in December can be reshuffled out of Cabinet.
Five ANC MPs supported the Section 89 report, implying that they needed President Cyril Ramaphosa to face impeachment costs. The ANC says the disciplinary course of towards the implicated MPs remains to be into account.
COGTA Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was the primary to lead the cost, voting in favour of Ramaphosa’s impeachment investigation. Other MPs, together with Supra Mahumapelo, Mervyn Dirks and Mosebenzi Zwane adopted swimsuit.
Thandi Mahambehla voted in favour of the report and later made a U-flip. Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu left the House earlier than the vote. The party has maintained that these implicated can be held accountable.
“We have a party political system and people are here on the party list. Nobody contests a constituency and therefore when we have discussions in the party and take a decision they must be binding,” says ANC nationwide chairperson Gwede Mantashe.
Even after the NASREC Elective convention in December, the brand new management insisted that the disciplinary course of should go forward.
“The defiance by party members in parliament that matter is deferred to the DC. It’s a straightforward disciplinary issue. The national executive committee was briefed about that matter, that is where it stands and it will not be withdrawn. The disciplinary committee of the ANC will be seized with the matter and finalise it as soon as possible,” says ANC secretary-normal, Fikile Mbalula.
One political analyst says Ramaphosa’s allies will push for the sanction of these MPs who defied the party line.
“The reason why they are most likely to push for that is that many people in the senior leadership of the ruling party will push to get into cabinet and I think that the failure to toe the party line at a time when these MPs could not achieve their strategic objectives in parliament has made them be vulnerable to a power shift or a reshuffle,” says political analyst Dr Ongama Mtimka.
ANC spokesman Pule Mabe says the matter remains to be into account.
