“If I'm a member of the ANC and I don't want to comply with the rules of the ANC [then] I'm tired of being a member of the ANC. It's not about expulsion but I am opting out of the ANC,” was the stern warning issued by ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe.
Mantashe was speaking outside the Cape Town City Hall after five ANC MPs led by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma openly defied the party in parliament by voting in favour of the section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala saga.
The independent panel, chaired by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, found that President Cyril Ramaphosa had a case to answer to about the origins of foreign currency stolen on his Limpopo farm.
Ramaphosa has since taken the report on review.
Dlamini-Zuma's stance, which took many by surprise, has set the tone for this weekend's high stakes ANC national conference where Ramaphosa is seeking re-election as the party leader.
Dlamini-Zuma, who failed to secure enough nominations to contest Ramaphosa, is seen as part of the anti-Ramaphosa faction who have been vocal in demanding that he's held to account and resign over the Phala Phala scandal.
Ramaphosa is facing a challenge for the party presidency from former health minister Zweli Mkhize who was notably absent during yesterday's vote.
Other notable ANC rebels who openly voted with the opposition were Supra Mahumapelo, Mervyn Dirks, Mosebenzi Zwane and Tandi Mahambehala.
Before the results were announced, Mahambehala unsuccessfully sought to amend her vote to a no but it had already been captured as a yes.
Mantashe, who had earlier on Tuesday cautioned ANC MPs about the repercussions of going against the party, told the media that Dlamini-Zuma as well as those who went against the party would be subjected to ANC disciplinary processes.
“We'll report to the ANC that we have five members who have voted with the opposition. The ANC processes will take their course. We'll report it to the committee dealing with discipline and it will decide what action to take, we can't put the cart before the horse,” Mantashe said.
Political analyst professor Mcebisi Ndletyana said people vote based on how much they think they have to lose.
“Dlamini-Zuma doesn't expect anything anyway. NDZ [Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma] doesn’t have much to lose, she's at the turnout of her career, she’s not looking for any promotion. For her, she’s at the twilight of her career, so whatever happens won’t really be too disappointing and she won’t be hurt by that, so that’s how she’s voted,” Ndletyana said.
On assessing others who voted with Dlamini-Zuma, he said Mahambehlala was still relatively young in her career and was still looking to be affirmed.
“ANC party discipline is still very strong and to go against it, going against a principle and custom because unity, especially in parliament, the ANC has to act together. It's not easy for that transgression to be overlooked,” Ndletyana said.
During Tuesday's debate, there was yet another attempt for the vote to be done by secret ballot.
However, National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula maintained her ruling that the voting would be done by a roll call.
EFF president Julius Malema accused Ramaphosa of being “so desperate to avoid any type of investigation into the crimes that have occurred at and in relation to your Phala Phala farm”.
“It is concerning because it means worse has happened in that farm that you do not want the people of South Africa to know. Instead, you're using the process of an impeachment inquiry to clear you name,” Malema said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said the ANC that South Africans saw was the same ANC that leapt to the defence of the former president Jacob Zuma in half a dozen motions of no confidence as well as an impeachment vote.
“Despite all the solemn pledges to do better and to honour their oath of office following the scathing rebuke delivered by justice Raymond Zondo in his final report into state capture, the ANC fell at the very first hurdle.
“Perhaps even more disappointing is that this behaviour was happily welcomed by President Ramaphosa himself, who has done everything in his power to avoid answering questions truthfully about the money he hid in his farmhouse,” Steenhuisen said.
In rejecting the report, justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola said by adopting the report, it would be adopting an incorrect standard the panel applied with the wrong legal test.
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