The African National Congress secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has denied hauling party Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi to head office Luthuli House with an intention to charge him.
Mbalula made these utterances on his X account on Tuesday evening.
“The SG (Mbalula) never summoned the chair of Gauteng (Lesufi) with the intention to charge.
Wanted Lesufi to provide clarity on his comments
“Instead, the SG, acting on behalf of the NEC (ANC national executive committee), requested his (Lesufi’s) presence to provide clarity on his comments, which contradict the ANC’s stance on the government of national unity (GNU).
“This action is largely because Cde Panyaza holds an NEC position by virtue of being the provincial chair of Gauteng. His statements could potentially have significant consequences for the ANC in general and Gauteng in particular,” said Mbalula.
“The NWC had convened meetings in both Gauteng and KZN following the recent decline in electoral support. My meeting with KZN was focused on discussing solutions to address the challenges in the province.
“Any other narrative presented in the media is dismissed as speculative opinion and not based on facts,” said Mbalula.
Political overdrive
Luthuli House has been on political overdrive since Monday. This is following the summoning of Gauteng ANC provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi to Luthuli House. He was summoned to appear before the national officials.
Mbalula had summoned Lesufi to explain his “utterances” that apparently were anti-GNU. They were tantamount to bringing the party into disrepute.
Lesufi appeared and explained himself satisfactorily, according to Mbalula. Although some insist that the move was meant to intimidate the Gauteng chair and set in the manoeuvre to disband his PEC.
This was not the first time Mbalula called Lesufi to account.
Chris Hani T-shirt
In July, Mbalula was so perturbed and later confronted Lesufi for addressing a media conference while dressed in a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Don’t Kill Chris Hani Again”.
Lesufi donned the T-shirt while sharing the stage with Mbalula at Luthuli House over the breakdown of the government of provincial unity negotiations with the DA.
At the time, talk was rife of a cold war between the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) and Luthuli House over which party to work with in Gauteng.
The provincial leadership is suspected to have preferred the EFF and MK against the national office’s already existing government of national unity centred around the DA.
“When I saw Panyaza wearing the T-shirt, I asked the meaning of that. Even in philosophical terms, I did not understand him properly. What does he mean by that? Who is he directing that to?” Mbalula said during a wide-ranging interview with the Sunday World Engage podcast, which is on our YouTube channel.
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