ANC Gauteng closes chapter on Masina’s twitter drama

The ANC in Gauteng says it has closed the chapter on the latest social media furore involving its Ekurhuleni chairperson and mayor Mzwandile Masina, after accepting the regional executive committee’s (REC) decisions on his tweets.

Masina met with his REC on Tuesday, after he was taken to task by the ANC at national level over a tweet he posted in support of comments by EFF leader Julius Malema, calling for a stay-away and the collapse of the “white economy” in the country.

The ANC said Masina’s views fell outside of the confines of the governing party and while they were personal views, they could confuse its constituency and members, in terms of what it stood for.

“The regional executive has provided guidance and leadership in this matter and the PEC (provincial executive committee) appreciates the assertion of the centrality of the organisation, the importance in remaining disciplined at all times, even when discussing emotive issues,” said provincial secretary Jacob Khawe in a statement on Thursday.

He praised the REC for its “level-headed” approach to the matter and for giving Masina the space to plead his case.

The ANC regional chair had dared the ANC to fire him, threatening to resign as mayor, something he had done previously in the face of President Cyril Ramaphosa contesting to lead the governing party in 2017.

He retracted those tweets and has done so again as reflected in the REC’s own statement, which was released earlier.

But Masina refused to retract his support for Malema’s call on the economy.

The REC, which said it understood the context of Masina’s tweets, cautioned leaders and party members on raising issues on the party’s policy positions while attaching perspectives or characters that could transgress what the ANC stood for.

Khawe said this posture, which the PEC welcomed, gave Masina guidance on how and when to raise views within the confines of the ANC’s structures.

He warned that the “ill-disciplined conduct” undermined the unity and cohesion of the ANC and should always be dealt with swiftly.

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