ANC’s vote against Mkhwebane signals a new path for party

This week’s move by ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe to step in and direct the ANC caucus to support a vote to investigate the public protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, is indicative of party’s new trajectory of stamping its authority against corruption.

It is also a sign of President Cyril Ramaphosa flexing his muscle against corruption at all levels – in the party, government, and now in parliament, and may be the way issues are dealt with henceforth.

Political analysts said some in the ANC had come to realise that all parties, including the opposition, must play a role in the country’s life and that the country’s interests was more important than the party’s. Hence the governing party took an unprecedented act to support a Democratic Alliance (DA)-sponsored motion to investigate Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.

Mantashe on Tuesday instructed the ANC caucus in parliament to support the DA’s motion to probe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office and the party followed that position. Parliament voted 275 to 40 in favour of the motion, which could see Mkhwebane finally impeached following a misconduct probe against her.

Political analyst, Professor Barry Hanyane, from North-West University, highlighted the significance of Mantashe’s action.

Hanyane said the “Thuma Mina Movement”, a reference to the Ramaphosa faction within the ANC, wanted to “put the best foot forward in dealing with corruption”.

Those like Mantashe who were backing Ramaphosa, wanted to see the ANC viewed as a party that sought to promote good governance at all cost.

Hanyane said the post-Nasrec ANC want to see that corruption was dealt with head-on and sought to ensure that the party was seen as “not being a shadow of that particular intention”.

“… But most importantly to make sure that there is some form of unity within the party itself, especially when it comes to issues that may very well divide the party politically, either within parliament as in the ANC caucus or outside of parliament.

Hanyane argued that the ANC needed to take some of its Nasrec resolutions forward and the Mkhwebane vote was “one of those acid tests” to determine whether indeed the ANC was serious about ensuring that its new trajectory not only found expression outside of parliament but within parliament.

No choice but to vote with the DA

Political economy analyst Daniel Silke said the issue had opened a new avenue for both the ANC and the DA to explore greater areas of co-operation, rather than seeing each other as enemies. However, he was less optimistic about the prospects of collaboration between the two parties, although that would be good for the country.

“The time is approaching fast where the ANC has to choose between the country and the party interests. There is a realisation among some in the ANC that saving the country is more important than saving the special interests of the party,” Silke said.

He said for the ANC to vote with the DA was a chance encounter where the ANC did not have a choice but to support it because of parliamentary procedure.

They were also compelled by the critical report of the review panel report on Mkhwebane that they could not oppose, otherwise the ANC would have risked losing public confidence in parliament.

Independent political analyst Ralph Mathekga said the ANC had realised that things have conspired in a way that it found itself having to support the DA motion.

“This is to show that the party hears the public mood,” Mathekga said.

Post-Zuma years may have led to some self-reflection

According to Hanyane, the starting point for the ANC to redeem itself would be to discourage the continued political tradition seen under former president Jacob Zuma where ANC members were not given the chance to vote according to their conscience in a series of no-confidence motions against Zuma.

That may have created serious self-reflection within the party about whether caucus members should vote according to their conscience or be compelled to toe the caucus line.

The role of the chief whip within the ANC had also taken a slight turn from radical to a more moderate one that should be associated with social democracy position traceable in the new chief whip, Pemmy Majodina. She had been advocating for robust engagements to be put forward and facts assessed, and allowing members some leeway to influence the final collective decision.

This is a first turn towards Mkhwebane’s impeachment but it would be interesting to see if the ANC would follow suit and vote for her impeachment in the end.

“What we are seeing indeed is the so-called new dawn ANC caucus perspective being instituted to support what the Ramaphosa presidency is all about. It’s a long walk, it’s not a walk in the park at all but I’m beginning to sense that the Ramaphosa faction wants to tie all the loose nuts and bolts to have a total control in parliament through the ANC caucus,” said Hanyane.

ericn@citizen.co.za

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