Former uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veteran’s Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus has thrown in the towel.
Niehaus announced on Friday that he has resigned from the ANC “with immediate effect”. But the party had already expelled him before the 55th National Conference last week.
Niehaus, who was expelled as an ANC member, was charged with six counts of misconduct for contravening Rule 25 of the ANC Constitution.
One of the charges relates to a press conference that he conducted in Nkandla following the issuing of the warrant of arrest for former president Jacob Zuma for failing to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture chaired by now Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
During the press conference, Niehaus was quoted as saying Zuma’s legal woes were a result of factionalism and some politicians using state agencies such as the National Prosecuting Authority to target the former ANC president.
After the news of his expulsion was relayed to him by his “comrade” Supra Mahumapelo, Niehaus fumingly filmed his reaction saying that he would appeal. According to him, the appeal meant the expulsion was suspended pending the outcome. He said at the time that he was still a member of the ANC and would not give in to pressure.
“I have already appealed the travesty of justice of my illegal expulsion by the ANC National Disciplinary Committee. Because I have appealed, the farcical expulsion is suspended. I remain a full member of the ANC,” he said at the time.
However, in a statement on Friday, former president Jacob Zuma’s staunch supporter has said that he is terminating his incessant veteran ANC membership of over 43 years.
Niehaus said it is with “great sadness, and much pain in [his] heart” that he announced his decision to resign from the ANC, notwithstanding criticism that he is resigning from a party that has already expelled him.
Said Niehaus: “I know that there are those who will continue with their cheap Stratcom political propaganda, attempting to undermine the gravitas and importance of this decision, by trying to argue that I cannot resign from an organisation that I have apparently already been ‘expelled’ from. They know very well that since I have formally appealed and filed my Heads of Argument with the ANC National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal (NDCA), the status quo of my ANC membership was maintained, and my so-called ‘expulsion’ was suspended until the NDCA ruled on my appeal. To put it straightforward and simply: I remained a member of the ANC, and with this media statement I am now resigning my membership.
“From the moment of issuing this media statement I am forthwith terminating my uninterrupted veteran ANC membership of over 43 years, with immediate effect.
“I have already e-mailed a copy of this media statement, together with a short covering letter to the Office of the ANC Secretary General. I have furthermore instructed my comrade and legal representative, Dr. Mathews Phosa, to officially withdraw my appeal against the spurious, draconian, and illegal, ‘expulsion’ that the kangaroo court of the National Disciplinary Committee so unilaterally, and illegally, imposed on me.”
Niehaus has dropped the appeal against his expulsion, he said that it would be “illogical, and a waste of time” to pursue his rage further. According to him, the appeal would not succeed anyway, with Fikile Mbalula blowing his trumpet as the newly elected secretary-general of the ANC.
“There is also no need to subject myself to the continuing farcical kangaroo court of the ANC National Disciplinary Committee, and by extension the National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal. The trumped-up charges that were brought against me never had any shred of validity. Under that pompous vacuous moronic windbag Fikile Mbalula, who now so farcically emerged as the Secretary General (SG) of the ANC, there is no chance that any appeal will be adjudicated fairly. Mbalula’s own triumphalist dictatorial statement at the closing press conference of the 55th National Conference, that he will be an Inquisition-like enforcer, is more than enough evidence that the so-called ‘New Dawn’, is now a full-blown era of dictatorship and repression…”
Two days before his resignation, Niehaus hosted a #InMyCrosshairs Twitter Space for three and a half hours, in which he explained why he could no longer continue to serve under the ANC.
ANC ancestors are probably “spinning in their graves” with disappointment over the party’s current “disgraceful acts”, according to Niehaus, who has accused party of not sticking to the origins of its conception. He said in the video that the ANC has become a “slave-like service” of white monopoly capitalism.
“Our ANC ancestors are spinning in their graves! Imposters have taken over, and they are abusing the ANC colours and logo for a neoliberal thing, that is no longer the original ANC, and that is now in the slave-like service of White Monopoly Capitalism (WMC), and Western Imperialism, led by sell out agents and spies under the criminal mafia leadership of Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Together with other truly committed comrades, I have done everything within my ability to prevent this tragedy from unfolding. Sadly, we have failed. The ANC is dead and can no longer be saved.
Niehaus has said that he will continue to pursue the liberation ideals with which he joined the ANC to begin with.
“I pledge that I will continue to dedicate my life, and all the energy that I have, to the liberation ideals that in the first instance brought me to joining the ANC. Personally, absolutely nothing has changed for me. I will continue to be fully part of the struggle for Radical Economic Transformation (RET), and full liberation. When one vehicle for the achievement of our liberation falters and dies – as is the case with the ANC – others MUST emerge. Ultimately, the ideal of a truly liberated and just South Africa can, and will, never be destroyed.
“Aluta continua!” he concluded.
Herewith my immediate resignation from the @MYANC: https://t.co/V7hABbTOwi pic.twitter.com/hwpCgb2szt
— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) December 23, 2022
Also read: Carl Niehaus appeals his expulsion from the ANC
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