ANC MP suspended after calling for Ramaphosa to appear before Scopa

The ANC caucus in Parliament on Thursday would not be drawn into commenting on its suspension of MP Mervyn Dirks, who wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to appear before Scopa over allegations of mismanagement of public funds by party members.

ANC Chief Whip Pammy Majodina issued a suspension letter to Dirks on Thursday.

Last week, Dirks wrote to Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa, requesting that Ramaphosa be summoned to the committee to answer to allegations of looting of public funds. This came after the Ramaphosa was heard in a leaked audio, telling party members that he knew of party members who utilised public funds for ANC campaigning leading up to the 2017 Nasrec elective conference.

“One of the officials said as these people from the state security [agency] testify [at the state capture commission], one of the officials said soon they will be revealing about how money was used for some campaigns, and I said I would rather they say you got money from this business for CR17 than for the public to finally hear that their public money was used to advance certain campaigns,” Ramaphosa said in the audio during an ANC NEC meeting..

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Dirks wanted Ramaphosa to explain himself, claiming that the President failed to report such information to the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture when he appeared before Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo last year.

Majodina requested Dirks to withdraw his letter to Hlongwa by Tuesday, which he failed to do. She then issued a precautionary suspension letter, forbidding him to speak to the media.

According to SAFM, the MP has been stripped of his parliamentary duties and would soon face a disciplinary hearing.

ANC caucus acting spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota said Dirks’ matter was an internal party issue, and that her party won’t be drawn into speaking on internal issues.

“There are other processes that are still underway. We haven’t issued any public communication on this matter largely because we are still dealing with it internally,” she said.

Dirk’s suspension will anger members of his fellow RET faction who are fighting to weaken Ramaphosa ahead of the party’s upcoming elective conference in December. The ANC NEC meeting started on Thursday and will conclude on Friday. An ANC Lekgotla will be held over the weekend.

Dirks, who hails from KwaZulu-Natal, has been an ANC MP since 2014.

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