Zuma believes the ANC is trying to expel him – source

A story in the Sunday Times has confirmed the view among some in the ANC’s top decision-making structure between conferences, the national executive committee (NEC), that the repeated presence of former president Jacob Zuma in NEC meetings has seen “senior party leaders” accusing him of trying to “intimidate them”.

Several ANC members who spoke anonymously to the paper said there was “widespread unhappiness” about Zuma attending NEC meetings.

He also attended the special NEC meeting on Monday.

His critics in the party have accused him of doing this to allegedly silence them on raising issues critical of Zuma, who is the first former president of the ANC to attend NEC meetings so regularly.

Thabo Mbeki reportedly never attended a meeting since he lost the presidency to Zuma in 2007, although all former ANC presidents are entitled to attend in their capacity as ex-officio NEC members.

Reportedly, Zuma sits quietly in the meetings observing proceedings from start to finish, without saying a word.

“It becomes awkward,” one person told Sunday Times.

The reasons Zuma’s critics put forward to the paper for why he might be attending included that he is concerned about who “might be selling him out”, especially on issues such as the “integrity commission, issues about corruption and SARS”.

Zuma’s spokesperson said this was “hogwash”, however, and that Zuma was not trying to intimidate anyone. The ANC should be grateful that such an experienced and long-standing NEC member was gracing the group with his presence, he added. Another Zuma supporter also accused those opposed to Zuma of being “cowards”.

However, The Citizen can reveal the main reason Zuma attended Monday’s meeting was a perception he now has that the ANC leadership is attempting to oust him from the party completely.

According to a reliable source close to the former president, Zuma had initially not planned to attend the meeting in Irene, but changed his mind when told there was an alleged plan to have the NEC debate concerns about a new party that appears to be mobilising around him.

A national working committee member had earlier told The Citizen the ANC’s top six had already discussed their concerns about reports that Zuma is being wooed by members of a new party, the African Transformation Congress (ATC), which believes the former president is being mistreated by the ANC and want him to become the face of the ATC.

The ANC has banned its members from, among other things, appearing in support of Zuma at his corruption trial wearing ANC colours and in their capacity as ANC members.

Zuma has distanced himself from this new formation, though many in the ANC insist he has secretly given the ATC his blessing. There has, however, been no clear evidence of that and Zuma has repeatedly said he remains loyal to the ANC.

The source went as far as to suggest the ANC’s top six have been divided on whether Zuma should lose his ANC membership in the wake of the ATC’s formation, saying four of the party’s top six were allegedly in favour of this outcome, while two oppose it.

When called for comment last week, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said there was no truth to the story, and alleged it was being spread as part of ongoing efforts by some in the ANC to attempt to sow division in the ANC and to foment anger among ANC members in, particularly, KwaZulu-Natal.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule also denied the party leadership has been contemplating Zuma’s expulsion.

“There is no such thing,” he said last Saturday, after initially saying he was not in a position to comment on the matter.

However, Zuma was nevertheless concerned this week that a motion to have him expelled from the ANC would be raised at the NEC meeting, and so he decided to attend despite initially indicating to the party that he would not.

An NEC member whose name is known to The Citizen allegedly did attempt to raise the issue of the ATC and Zuma’s possible involvement with it at the special NEC meeting, but it’s understood he was shouted down by other NEC members, within minutes, and the matter did not proceed.

Although it appears inconceivable the ANC might wish to expel Zuma from the party, more than one source has told The Citizen the ANC’s new leaders are concerned about ongoing factionalism in the ruling party as well as continued attempts by pro-Zuma supporters to drag the party to court, with one case even potentially throwing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s legitimacy as party leader into doubt.

Disgruntled Eastern Cape delegates filed papers in the High Court in Johannesburg this week, with City Press reporting that the province’s new chairperson, a Ramaphosa backer, Oscar Mabuyane, felt the case was evidence of a “plot” in the ANC this week to ensure a default judgment in favour of the unhappy delegates.

He alleged that Magashule was meant to have signed the court papers, but did not do so on time, which could have led to a default judgment against his leadership of the Eastern Cape.

The disgruntled members, who support former provincial chairperson Phumullo Masualle, want the findings of a report by Sbu Ndebele to be recommended. If this happens, the Eastern Cape provincial executive committee will be disbanded, and the ripple effect could call the entire ANC leadership into question, possibly even restoring Zuma to the presidency of the party as the only “legitimately” elected leader.

According to Mabuyane, he had to “wake up and call the SG and everyone nationally and ask ‘why are you not filing papers?'”

He told City Press the “plot” by “certain individuals whose names he did not want to mention” to destabilise the party in the Eastern Cape was perhaps scuppered in this way, though he remains concerned.

Although Magashule assured Mabuyane he “has nothing to do with these people”, Mabuyane said “we are watching”.

For some of those opposed to Zuma in the ANC, they feel they would be better off and the party would be more united if they can find a way to expel Zuma, even though that would probably heavily cost them votes in Zuma’s electoral stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal.

The ANC would, without question, officially deny all of this and it may in fact not be true.

However, Zuma himself strongly believes there is a plot afoot to have him expelled from the ANC, whether true or not.