50% of ANC MPs ‘worried’ about what’s going on in SA, says Hanekom

It would be safe to say that more than 50% of African National Congress MPs are “worried” about what’s going on in the country with regards to state capture and corruption – that’s according to party MP Derek Hanekom.

Speaking on Thursday at The Gathering: Media Edition hosted by Daily Maverick, Hanekom said the upcoming motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma in parliament next Tuesday would be much more difficult to vote against for a majority of ANC MPs.

“They really are deeply worried with what is happening in our country, and deeply disappointed with the leadership of the ANC. It’s not like they want to break ranks. It’s not that they don’t regard themselves as members of the ANC. They do,” he said.

Hanekom – who was fired by Zuma earlier this year in March in a controversial Cabinet reshuffle – said when “things go so badly wrong” in the country, the governing party’s MPs “hate it and they are traumatised”.

“I would safely say that more than 50% of ANC MPs are very worried about what’s going on, and they believe that some sort of action should be taken soon because it is just getting worse. The question is what kind of action will there be?” he asked.

Last month, EFF leader Julius Malema claimed that should National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete permit voting by way of a secret ballot on Tuesday. He was of the understanding that 60 ANC MPs would turn on Zuma and vote with the opposition.

“I personally spoke to more than 60 MPs of the ANC who have committed that if we give them a secret ballot they will deliver. They’ve asked that this thing must be secret. They are not happy themselves,” Malema told Reuters.

Mbete is yet to make her decision known publicly on the matter.

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