Zuma purge more than a witch-hunt

One of the reasons that ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza disturbs her party is that she represents a worrying possibility: that ANC members will start thinking for themselves and could start promoting individuals ahead of the collective.

So, it is not surprising the ANC summarily removed her as the chair of a parliamentary committee. It is also not surprising that the organisation wants to remove former tourism minister Derek Hanekom as head of the ANC’s disciplinary committee.

Having him continue to occupy that seat is anathema to the ANC, which believes he is guilty of the most gross discipline by criticising President Jacob Zuma.

There will, undoubtedly, be similar moves to discipline “dissident” members such as former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and former Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele.

However, we do not believe Zuma is being vindictive in wanting to make these moves against the people because they voted against him in the parliamentary vote of no confidence.

We have no doubt Zuma can harbour grudges for a long time and can be motivated by revenge. But, we would suggest he is too wily a politician and street fighter to let his judgment be clouded by emotion.

The reason that he, and his faction around him, have to move against the rebels is simply that they are a rallying point for opposition.

As such, they will be a massive voice at the December electoral conference of the ANC where Zuma is trying to arrange that his exwife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, takes over from him at the helm of the organisation.

He is busy ensuring that the conference will be loaded with as many of his supporters as possible (gerrymandering of internal elections is something of an ANC tradition) to rubber stamp the succession. Anyone who speaks out against that will have to be silenced.