President Cyril Ramaphosa and his allies have upped the ante as they move to kick out former president Jacob Zuma’s allies from the party’s influential structures as the battle for control of the governing party intensifies ahead of its elective conference in December.
In an unprecedented move, Ramaphosa’s allies have decided to search outside the ANC national executive committee (NEC), roping legal eagles and leaders from former president Thabo Mbeki’s administration into the party’s disciplinary structures, which have been dominated by Zuma acolytes.
While some regions have already endorsed a second term for Ramaphosa, the president and his supporters have moved swiftly to consolidate their power base by overhauling the organisation’s NEC subcommittees, including the national disciplinary committee (NDC) and the national disciplinary committee of appeals (NDCA).
The NDC and the NDCA were said to have become a stumbling block in Ramaphosa’s drive to enforce discipline and throw out those who are not prepared to toe the party line. The two crucial structures were previously dominated by Zuma supporters and sympathisers of the party’s suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and the so-called Radical Economic
Transformation (RET) forces. Ramaphosa and his faction have now proposed the appointment of their allies in the NDC and NDCA, and roped in some legal eagles from outside the NEC, including former National Prosecuting Authority boss Vusi Pikoli.
Sunday World reported in April that ANC chairperson in the Northern Cape, Zamani Saul – a strong Ramaphosa ally – had lobbied for changes to the NDC and NDCA as he argued that they were dominated by a faction linked to Zuma. According to a new list, which was produced from the meeting of the party’s national working committee (NWC) that sat on Monday, Ramaphosa’s allies have pushed out Zuma supporters from the NDC and NDCA. The NDC is now set to be chaired by former chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Ralph Mgijima.
Other new members include Advocate Kerensa Millard, the former adviser to the erstwhile National Intelligence Agency; prominent lawyer Thandi | Orleyn, who is chair of Ramaphosa’s Shanduka Trust; and Robinson Ramaite, the former director-general of public service and administration .
Former basic education deputy minister Enver Surty and NEC member Lindiwe Maseko are also among the new NDC members. Only three NEC members made it back to the NDC – Nocawe Mafu, Faith Muthambi and Susan Shabangu, who should decisions go down to the wire, would be easily outvoted.
Mgijima will replace former labour minister Mildred Oliphant, who chaired the NDC. Other members dropped from the NDC include former state security minister Bongani Bongo, former Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, former fi nance minister Tito Mboweni and former mineral resources minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi. Oliphant, Bongo, Dlamini and Mthethwa are known Zuma supporters. Sweeping changes have also been suggested for the NDCA, with the suggestion to drop former water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane as chairperson. Also set to be removed from the appeal structure are former health minister Zweli Mkhize, former state security minister Siyabonga Cwele and former deputy minister of arts and culture, Rejoice Mabudafhasi. Mokonyane, Cwele and Mkhize have historic links to Zuma. The NDCA has also been flooded with new members coming from Mbeki’s previous administration.
They include Johnny de Lange, who was appointed deputy justice minister along with Jabu Moleketi as deputy finance minister when Mbeki infused new blood into his national executive in Party leaders from the Mbeki era brought in as battle for the party intensifies President Cyril Ramaphosa ups the ante as he rids himself of former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters in the ANC’s internal structures.
De Lange will chair the NDCA. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, former minister of public service and administration during the Mbeki era; Max Boqwana, the CEO of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation; and Lindiwe Hendricks, Mbeki’s former minister of water affairs and forestry, have also been lined up for the NDCA.
Other NDCA members will include Professor Firoz Cachalia, former MEC for economic development in Gauteng and Krish Govender, former co-chair of the Law Society of South Africa. Ramaphosa’s faction is expected to have its way when the list is presented at the next NEC meeting scheduled for the weekend of the 25th. An NEC member aligned to Ramaphosa said the president was delivering on his promise to renew the party.
“ We know that people who are not disciplined are RET forces. The NDC and NDCA of Mokonyane were part of the degeneration,” he said. However, an NEC member supporting Magashule said the composition of both the NDC and NDCA made it clear that Ramaphosa wanted the former Free State strongman expelled. “The president is now preparing to expel Magashule. It is unprecedented that you have people coming from outside the NEC forming the subcommittees.”
Tony Yengeni, who is regarded as a RET force, is also set to be dropped as the chairperson of the subcommittee on peace and stability and is to be replaced by another former state security minister, David Mahlobo. Ramaphosa and his allies have also promoted to prominent roles the party’s rising stars Mmamoloko Kubayi, who is human settlements minister and justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola.
Kubayi was set to be the new chairperson of the powerful economic transformation committee, replacing finance minister Enoch Godongwana while Lamola would likely replace Mkhize as chair of the legal and constitutional affairs committee. Both are believed to be campaigning to become Ramaphosa’s deputy.
Defiant tourism minister Lindiwe Zulu – recently involved in a public spat with Ramaphosa over her attack on judges – has been retained as the chairperson of the social transformation committee, lest she is perceived as a Ramaphosa victim.
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