‘Discipline must be consistent’: Dlamini-Zuma in hot water over missing Mkhwebane removal 

Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and ANC MP Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will face disciplinary action for refusing to toe the party line. 

Last week , Dlamini-Zuma was absent from the National Assembly to vote on whether to remove former Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane. 

ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said she would write a report to the party’s Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, requesting action be taken against Dlamini-Zuma.

Defiance is frowned upon

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri told eNCA Dlamini-Zuma’s defiance was frowned upon. 

READ MORE: ‘It’s enough now’ – Majodina wants ANC to act against Dlamini-Zuma for her absence from Mkhwebane vote

Bhengu-Motsiri would not say what kind of disciplinary action Dlamini-Zuma would face. 

“Well, it would be very pre-emptive of me to say what it would look like because the NDC [national disciplinary committee] looks at various options and looks at the gravity of the matter and of course, they’ve got to consider all manner of things,” she said. 

Bhengu-Motsiri said Majodina did not receive an apology from Dlamini-Zuma.

She said discipline must be consistent across the organisation, despite one’s history of service. 

“Anyone that just makes themselves unavailable when deployed by the ANC to serve our people in Parliament and doesn’t show up for sittings of Parliament, even if it’s not just about an important matter as the one around the matter of Mkhwebane, as a rule of thumb we expect all our members to honour their obligations when deployed in Parliament or any other organ where they’re deployed,” she said.

ALSO READ: ‘I owe you no accountability’: Mahumapelo claps back at Niehaus over Mkhwebane vote

Repeat offender

This is the second time Dlamini-Zuma defied the ANC’s leadership. 

Previously, she went against the party by voting in favour of an impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa, which she is still facing a hearing for. 

Dlamini-Zuma said she was not concerned about losing her seat in the cabinet. 

“I serve at the behest of the President. If he wants to reshuffle me, even this minute, it is his right, it’s his democratic right. So, I won’t hold it against him,” she said at the time.