STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ANC ON THE MEMBERSHIP OF JACOB ZUMA

29 January 2024

The ANC NEC took note of the announcement by former ANC President Jacob Zuma on 16 December 2023. He announced that he would be campaigning for another political party and further launched a series of vitriolic attacks against the ANC and its leadership.

2. This development occurs in a context where anti-transformation forces are converging to stop

the march towards a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous country that truly belongs to all.

3. Part of the anti-transformation tactics are to encourage rebel break-away groupings to erode the

support base of the ANC. Some of these parties masquerade as more radical than the ANC, but their revolutionary-sounding rhetoric cannot hide the reality that they have common cause with the forces opposing transformation. The shared goal of all these forces is to deprive the ANC of the ability to use state power to effect change.

4. The formation of the MK party is not an accident. It is a deliberate attempt to use the proud

history of armed struggle against the apartheid regime to lend credibility to what is a blatantly counter-revolutionary agenda. It was the sacred ground rule of UmKhonto we Sizwe, the glorious People's army which all its members were taught, that this army was established to advance the political goals of the ANC. It implemented what the ANC NEC instructed it to do.

5. The war against poverty, inequality and unemployment remains the primary objective of our transformation struggle. At this point in the National Democratic Revolution, there is no need to advance this program through the opportunistic use of military symbolism.

6. The challenges of our struggle for a better life for all, are difficult and diverse and require honest and dedicated leaders. To suggest that the solutions are easy is dishonest and smacks of populist self-gratification.

7 At its last two national conferences the ANC vowed to renew itself to more effectively address society's challenges and conduct its affairs in line with its core values.

8. The ANC is committed to developing and, where necessary, correcting its members and leaders.

However, as renewal gains momentum, Zuma and others whose conduct is in conflict with our values and principles, will find themselves outside the ANC.

9. The JZ-party project aims to cast doubt on our entire constitutional democracy. The ANC categorically rejects the dangerous suggestion that our electoral system can and will be manipulated. The Independent Electoral Committee is one of the most trusted public institutions. The entire voting process and counting process is monitored by party agents from all competing parties and international observers who have repeatedly declared our elections to be free and fair.

10. The people of South Africa and the ANC will not allow a Renamo/Unita project in our country to discredit democratic outcomes that do not favour them and use violence against the people as a bargaining tool. This is the fundamental danger of the JZ-party project. It targets extremist instincts in our body politic and riles up a political base to foment social unrest.

11. His actions reinforces the work of the primarily right-wing opponents of the National Democratic

Revolution. In this regard, in assuming this reactionary public posture, former President Zuma is actively asserting himself as the figurehead of counterrevolution in South Africa today.

12. Former President Jacob Zuma is actively impugning the integrity of the ANC and campaigning to dislodge the ANC from power, while claiming that he has not terminated his membership. This conduct is irreconcilable with the spirit of organisational discipline and letter of the ANC Constitution.

13. This chain of events requires the organisation to invoke measures to protect and preserve its integrity and prevent further damage to its reputation.

14. Pursuant to this, the NEC during its ordinary meeting held from 26 — 29 January 2024 resolved to invoke Rule 25.60 of the ANC Constitution: "If justifiable exceptional circumstances warrant an immediate decision of temporary suspension of a member without eliciting the comment or response of such member as contemplated above, the NEC, the NWC, the PEC or the PWC, as the case may be, may summarily suspend such member". The NEC concluded that exceptional circumstances exist to justify and warrant an immediate decision to suspend former ANC President JG Zuma in line with Rule 25.60 as stated above.

15. The ANC is willing, able and ready to defend the gains of freedom and our constitutional democracy. Accordingly, we call on ANC members, our alliance partners, and all South Africans to reject the agenda of the JZ-party project and all other divisive, anti-transformation and counter revolutionary projects aimed at derailing the forward march to a National Democratic Society.

Text of letter:

AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
SECRETARY GENERAL'S OFFICE

Cde JG Zuma

ANC Member

Ward 14 Branch, Nkandla Sub-region

Musa Dladla Region

KwaZulu-Natal Province

Dear Comrade Zuma

SUSPENSION IN TERMS OF RULE 25.60 OF THE ANC CONSTITUTION

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress met on 26 and 28¬29 January 2024. Amongst other matters, it considered your address to the so-called uMkhonto weSizwe Party on 16 December 2023, at the Ipelegeng Centre in Soweto, Johannesburg, and your subsequent pronouncements and activities in support of, and participation therein.

A link to the text of your address titled: "President JG Zuma Address to the Nation", was posted later on the same day via the X-account of the JG Zuma Foundation (Official). The text is attached hereto as Annexure A for ease of reference.

In your address you make the following statements, amongst others:

"I have decided that I cannot and will not campaign for the ANC of Ramaphosa in 2024. My conscience will not allow me to lie to the people of South Africa and to pretend that the ANC of Ramaphosa is the ANC of Luthuli, Tambo and Mandela."

"I therefore wish to announce that in 2024, I will vote for the Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) Party. It has already been registered with the IEC with my knowledge and blessings, in response to various pleas expressed to me by some religious leaders, traditional leaders, former combatants and other leaders in society. I call on all South Africans to join me in taking the important step and to vote for the MK Party and any other progressive party which seeks total liberation and the return of our land to its rightful owners, the African people."

"We are also discussing the formation of a Patriotic Front and a voting bloc after the people's victory in the 2024 election to pursue a minimum consensus programme of no more than 10 points of agreement to get us out of the present crisis, which is in the process of being formulated."

Notwithstanding the above pronouncements in your address, and subsequently, you maintain that: "I truly believe in the mandate of the ANC and I will continue to serve my organisation. I will die a member of the ANC."

According to the ANC membership system, you are a paid-up member of the ANC belonging to the ANC Branch in Ward 14 of the Nkandla Sub-Region of the Musa Dladla Region of the ANC KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The mandate of the ANC and the rights and duties of its members are to be found in the Constitution of the ANC, which is the contract between members of the ANC and the organization.

The succinct distillation of these rights and duties is to be found in the Oath of Membership that all ANC members are required to make upon joining the organisation:

"I, 1...], solemnly declare that I will abide by the aims and objectives of the African National Congress as set out in the Constitution, the Freedom Charter and other duly adopted policy positions, that I am joining the Organisation voluntarily and without motives of material advantage or personal gain, that I agree to respect the Constitution and the structures and to work as a loyal member of the Organisation, that I will place my energies and skills at the disposal of the Organisation and carry out tasks given to me, that I will work towards making the ANC an even more effective instrument of liberation in the hands of the people, and that I will defend the unity and integrity of the Organisation and its principles, and combat any tendency towards disruption and factionalism." (Rule 4.16)

The statements made in your address on 16 December 2023, and subsequently, are a violation of both your Oath of Membership, as well as the following provisions of the ANC Constitution:

(1) Acting in breach of the membership oath (Rule 25.17.1);

(2) Behaving in a manner or making any utterance which brings or could bring or has the potential to bring or as a consequence thereof brings the ANC into disrepute (Rule 25.17.5);

(3) Sowing racism, sexism, tribal chauvinism, religious and political intolerance, regionalism

or any other form of discrimination (Rule 25.17.6);

(4) Behaving in a manner which provokes or is likely to provoke or has the potential to provoke division or impact negatively on the unity of the ANC (Rule 25.17.7);

(5) Joining or supporting a political organisation or party, other than an organisation in alliance with the ANC, in a manner contrary to the aims, objectives and policy of the ANC (Rule 25.17.13);

(6) Standing in an election for local, provincial or national government or acting as the election agent or canvasser of a person standing in such election for any political party and in opposition to a candidate duly endorsed by the NEC or PEC (Rule 25.17.14);

(7) Prejudicing the integrity or repute of the Organisation, its personnel or its operational

capacity by (Rule 25.17.17) in particular by:

(a) Impeding the activities of the Organisation (Rule 25.17.17.1);

(b) Creating divisions within its ranks or membership (25.17.17.2);

(c) Doing any other act which undermines the ANC's effectiveness as an organization (Rule 25.17.17.3); or

(d) Acting on behalf of or in collaboration with (Rule 25.17.17.4):

(i) Counter-revolutionary forces (Rule 25.17.17.4.1);

(ii) A political organisation or party other than an organisation or party in alliance with the ANC in a manner contrary to the aims, policies and objectives of the ANC (Rule 25.17.17.4.2);

In light of the above, the NEC decided to act in terms of Rule 25.9 of the ANC Constitution and to exercise its right to invoke disciplinary proceedings and to initiate and/or institute disciplinary proceedings against you in respect of the acts of misconduct contained in Rule 25.17, referred to above.

The NEC has had due regard to the nature and seriousness of your alleged violation or act of misconduct, the likelihood of you engaging in further acts of misconduct, and the impact on the repute of the Organisation of the alleged violation or act of misconduct and/or further acts of misconduct that you could engage in.

Therefore, the NEC has decided to act in terms of Rule 25.60 after concluding that exceptional circumstances justify and warrant an immediate decision of your temporary suspension without eliciting your comment or response as contemplated in Rule 25.57.5.

Accordingly, you are immediately suspended with effect from Monday, 29 January 2024.

We draw your attention to the fact that your temporary suspension shall remain in force until the finalisation of the disciplinary proceedings, including any appeals or reviews, provided that the NDCA may, upon application, or of its own accord if the circumstances so warrant, set aside such suspension at any stage (Rule 25.66).

We also draw your attention to the fact that, during your temporary suspension, you shall not be entitled to exercise any of your rights in terms of the Constitution, save for attending the disciplinary proceedings and enforcing your right of appeal and/or review (Rule 25.67).

Furthermore, in terms of Rule 25.68 you may, at any stage, apply to the NDCA to set aside the temporary suspension.

Yours Sincerely,

Fikile Mbalula

SECRETARY GENERAL
AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Date: 29 January 2024

Copies to:

Cde U Abrahamse, Chief National Presenter

Cde R Mgijima, Chairperson: National Disciplinary Committee

Cde J de Lange, Chairperson: National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal

Issued by ANC, 29 January 2024

ENDS

Issued by Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, National Spokesperson, ANC, 29 January 2024