Former South African president Jacob Zuma during an MK party media briefing on 16 June 2024, at Capital Hotel in Sandton. Picture: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images
Former president and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party leader Jacob Zuma may not have got his wish for an in-person disciplinary hearing, but he was granted a postponement by his former party, the African National Congress (ANC).
The proposed date for the hearing is now Tuesday, 23 July.
An MK party statement revealed the party was pleased to learn of the postponement despite their leader demanding a physical hearing, threatening legal action if this was not granted.
“…He has received a very positive report from his representative Cde Tony Yengeni indicating that everything went well at the ANC Disciplinary Committee hearing which ended earlier this afternoon,” the statement read on Wednesday afternoon, a day before the hearing was supposed to take place.
“Cde Yengeni attended the virtual meeting alone to convey the clear message that President Zuma prefers a physical hearing as previously agreed between himself and the ANC and as per the provisions of the ANC constitution.
“Secondly, he applied for a postponement to a future date when such a physical hearing can be convened.”
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After a lengthy debate, the disciplinary committee ruled that the hearing would be on a virtual platform.
Yet it granted the postponement so Yengeni could convey the meeting’s outcome to Zuma and have time to hold a pre-hearing conference.
“President Zuma is very happy to have been granted this opportunity,” the MK party said.
“Naturally, in the meantime he will consult with his representative and other relevant stakeholders before making a decision on the next course of action.
“Until then he remains of the strongest view that, in these exceptional circumstances, the hearing should not only be physical but that it should also be opened up to the public.
“Umkhonto weSizwe wishes to add its voice to the call for openness and transparency in this important process.”
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Zuma has been charged with two counts of contravening the ANC‘s rules, including contravening the party’s constitution, when he publicly endorsed the newly formed MK party last year and when he appeared on the candidate list for the MK party.
According to the ANC constitution’s rule 25, Zuma’s actions to not campaign or vote for the ANC are tantamount to a breach of the party’s constitution.
The NEC initially opted not to expel the former president as an ANC member as that would require longer disciplinary processes, which at the time was believed he would not attend.
In December, Zuma announced that he would support the MK party for the 2024 general elections because the ANC had strayed from its core values.
Additional reporting by Faizel Patel.
