Lesufi’s defiance raises tensions in ANC leadership

ANC Gauteng chair and Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi was summoned to party headquarters to explain his public utterances that contradicted the position of the party on the government of national unity (GNU).

In a media briefing yesterday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed Lesufi was invited to Luthuli House on Monday to explain himself.

The ANC top seven officials were satisfied with Lesufi’s explanation and took no further action.

Lesufi said his GNU statements were distorted

Mbalula said Lesufi told the party officials that his statement on the GNU was distorted.

Although Mbalula ducked journalists’ questions to elaborate on what exactly Lesufi said which rubbed the party up the wrong way, it became clear that Lesufi’s anti-GNU stance and his public statements implying that the ANC position on GNU was a sell out one, irked the party officials.

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Mbalula denied as “unfounded” reports that Lesufi and KwaZulu-Natal ANC chair Sboniso Duma and provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo were summoned to Luthuli House to face a disciplinary process.

Instead, he said, Duma and Mtolo were called to discuss a political intervention made by the provincial executive committee on one of the ANC regions in KZN.

Earlier yesterday, Lesufi’s X account was deactivated and later on in the day reactivated.

Premier deactivated and reactivated X account

Lesufi has more than 500 000 followers on the platform.

No reason was given, although the move came after he was called to Luthuli House.

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Experts said yesterday the longer the ANC takes to rein in Lesufi for his behaviour, the more it would cost the party.

This emerged as insiders claimed the ensuing fallout among ANC top leaders was more a succession battle between Lesufi and Mbalula.

“Both have ambitions for the party presidency,” an insider said.

Both have ambitions for party presidency

Political analyst Prof Lesiba Teffo said the premier’s disposition so far should be read as defiance, which was accompanied by his anti-white rhetoric.

“He has made things difficult for the ANC. He might feel like he is on top of the world, in charge and in control, but I suspect that he is digging his grave,” he said.

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Another analyst, Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast, said the premier was anti-GNU and believed the ANC pursued the wrong agenda with the GNU and betrayed its voters.

Breakfast said the ANC was regarded as having sold out by working with the DA and pursuing the GNU was an antithesis of the revolutionary path.

Lesufi spoke on behalf of a group

He did not speak for himself but on behalf of a group that preferred to express their dissatisfaction privately.

“But Lesufi is the bold one who has broken ranks and is not holding back,” Breakfast said.