Hanekom could face the same committee investigating Magashule - ANC
30 July 2019
Former MP and member of the ANC's national executive committee Derek Hanekom might be facing an investigation by the same committee looking into secretary general Ace Magashule's alleged involvement into the establishment of smaller political parties.
ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte said this during a media briefing on Tuesday about the outcomes of its NEC meeting, which took place over the weekend.
She said the NEC directed the national working committee (NWC) to look at the veracity of the EFF's statement and investigate what was entailed in the discussions between Hanekom and the EFF. "Then what will happen is officials will then agree where this particular matter might go to. It might well go to the committee that is dealing with the allegations around the formation of the smaller parties."
Duarte added that the committee was not looking at Magashule specifically but any member of the NEC who may have been involved in the formation of smaller parties.
Meanwhile, Magashule - who was emboldened in a statement on Hanekom referring to him as a charlatan - tip-toed around the issue during a media briefing on Tuesday.
Sitting next to Duarte, Magashule would not be drawn into answering any questions surrounding his controversial statement were he called Hanekom a wedge driver and an EFF sleeper.
He instead left the matter for party spin doctor Pule Mabe, who said the NEC's decision to refer the matter to the NWC trumped Magashule's initial statement.
The ANC's factional battles came to a head last week when Hanekom was accused of colluding with the EFF in an effort to oust former president Jacob Zuma.
EFF leader Julius Malema made these allegations while addressing supporters in Pretoria.
It's alleged that the meetings took place shortly before the 2017 secret ballot which signaled the end of Zuma's reign.
At the time, Hanekom had been fired by Zuma in one of his 11 cabinet reshuffles, remaining as an ordinary MP.
Hanekom admitted to meeting EFF secretary general Godrich Gardee but insisted it was common practice for opposing party members to discuss these matters.
On the same day, Magashule issues a statement peppered with insults directed at Hanekom.
"Indeed this charlatan is making his mark through his ownership of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. Hanekom does not have the capacity to form a new political party, but he has shown remarkable agility in his efforts to divide the ANC," Magashule said in the statement.
"Well, we say to him and other EFF sleepers in the ANC, this only makes the members of the NEC, PEC (provincial executive committee), REC (regional executive committee) and branches more determined to unite the ANC and deliver services to the people of South Africa. We will ride this storm of accusations and counter-accusations."
The statement further said it was Hanekom "and others" who pressured the speaker of the National Assembly at the time, Baleka Mbete, to approve the EFF's demand for a vote of no confidence to be held via secret ballot.
The statement did not specify who the "others" were.
During the media briefing on Tuesday, Duarte said the party had never made accusation against one of its own without providing people room to state their case.
"In this case the accusation was made by a member of another party."
While sources have indicated the matter dominated much of the meeting this weekend, Magashule said the party's NEC had an extensive discussion on strengthening the organisation and accelerating renewal.
"The NEC recognised that there is certain persistent behaviour particularly at leadership levels which undermines this programme. These include factionalism, untested and wild accusations, use of social media to attack each other and policy positions of the ANC, leaks to media and taking the organisation to court without first exhausting internal processes."
Magashule said the party confirmed disciplinary processes need to be implemented consistently and any leader, "who contravenes ANC policies and protocol shall face due process in line with the ANC constitution without fear or favour".
Duarte disputed claims that a campaign was launched to topple President Cyril Ramaphosa at the party's national general council next year.
This after the Sunday Times reported that Ramaphosa, while delivering his political report, warned his detractors that he was ready for them at the party's mid-term conference.
"Let me explain an NGC so that we all understand. The NGC reviews policy. It can replace an NEC member if there is a vacancy, there is no vacancy from the presidency of the ANC, it's unlikely there will be a vacancy. We must be cautious about rhetoric that comes from friends of our desires. The desires of the ANC are not to unseat its president, nor is it intending to remove its president in anyway, that has never been discussed," Daurte explained.
