Luthuli House radicals ‘won’t go quietly’, say political analysts

The radical economic transformation (RET) forces within Luthuli House are not finished – they might lie low and later emerge in a disguised form. But the space to operate is getting narrower, say political experts.

Professor Dirk Kotze from the University of South Africa said although the RET group had been gagged by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC national executive committee (NEC), and prohibited from operating out of Luthuli House, the group was unlikely to give up the fight because that could result in their demise.

ALSO READ: ‘Me worry?’ – Magashule says he’s not stressed about ANC ultimatum

“They will most likely continue to operate, even away from Luthuli House. They won’t abandon this concept… This is do or die for them. If they accept the NEC decision to stop their activities, it’s the end of this group,” Kotze said.

He cautioned against gagging the group from expressing their views, saying that would interfere with internal party democracy.

“What they should avoid is a witch-hunt, democracy within the party is important in our democracy. People with dissenting views must be allowed to voice their opinion,” Kotze said.

Professor Susan Booysen, research director at Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, said the ANC’s statement “not to tolerate” the RET faction operating from Luthuli House was “a game changer”, although they never gained momentum beyond regular fiery media statements.

She believed the action was linked to the ANC demand for secretary-general Ace Magashule to step aside. He is facing serious criminal charges.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.