Group calling for Ramaphosa to be sanctioned ‘should not be taken lightly’

Two political analysts were yesterday divided on their perception of a grouping within the ANC, which this week called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be sanctioned for allegedly accepting money from private funders for his 2017 ANC presidential election campaign (CR17).

University of South Africa political science professor Dirk Kotze described the faction as being on the fringes of the party.

The Citizen has established the grouping, believed to be close to sidelined radical economic transformation espousing ANC leaders – suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule, former president Jacob Zuma and former uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus – does not enjoy overall support in eight provinces, as previously claimed.

Group spokesperson Onica Maphisa said: “I am an ordinary ANC member, not holding any leadership position. By eight provinces, we mean people have signed the petition in the eight provinces.

Each one [ordinary ANC members in good standing] is a provincial representative, all of us not holding any leadership position.

“You want to count the number of warm bodies supporting us?”

Kotze said Ramaphosa enjoyed firm support within the party and would be re-elected unopposed at the ANC’s national conference next year.

“This is clearly a fringe group – without any recognisable leaders among them – and not a powerful lobby group within the ANC.

“Someone like Ace Magashule, who is looking for an escape route, might be part of this group. Anything that might provide him with some form of leverage, he will grab.

“The CR17 matter has already been concluded by the courts. From a legal point of view. there is very little left.

“I think in the next year elective conference, the president will retain his position quite easily – uncontested.”

Independent political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga saw things differently: “I have been watching the ANC for many years and I don’t want to dismiss these guys as a bunch of lunatics.

“I know there are those who are concerned that corporations have put money in the internal elective processes of the party – something very unsettling.

“This concern does not only come from the [radical economic transformation] group.

“Critical decisions have been made within the ANC, with none tested with broader branches, [and] issues have been bubbling.

No matter how “lunatic” this group appears, he said, they “should not be taken lightly”.

Magashule has become unelectable. The problem is he is now a hand grenade with the pin off.”