The ANC Veterans League has called for the ruling party to take action against former president Jacob Zuma for breaching the Constitution of the ruling party after declaring support for another party in the elections.
The ANCVL said it was now evident who was de-campaigning the ANC.
It said the ANC must move with speed and act against Zuma for his behaviour, as the legacy of the ANC is not for sale. The veterans also said the legacy of uMkhonto we Sizwe cannot be sold to the highest bidder and be appropriated for nefarious purposes.
The MK Party, which is supported by Zuma, is not part of the ANC and has no links to the ruling party.
The ANCVL said Zuma has violated the Constitution of the ANC over his conduct.
"Also, as a matter of urgency, the ANC must take action against former president Jacob Zuma, who has violated the ANC constitution, and against the uMkhonto we Sizwe party, who may be illegally using the name of the former armed wing of the ANC.
“The last couple of days have categorically shown who is de-campaigning the ANC. Zuma says he can’t campaign for the ANC and says he will be voting for another political party,” said the ANC.
“These developments demonstrate the power of the ANC legacy and the lengths that certain individuals will go to appropriate that legacy to gain or remain in power, all in the so-called interest of saving the country.”
The ANCVL said they would not allow the legacy of the ANC to be appropriated for the wrong reasons.
It said the ANC must urgently take action against Zuma.
Dr Sizo Nkala from the University of Johannesburg said Zuma’s support for the MK Party will have an impact on the outcome of the elections.
He said Zuma was still supported in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng. His decision could result in the ANC’s loss of support in the elections.
This was a test for the ANC.
“Zuma’s actions have clearly contravened the constitution of the ANC, which prohibits its members from campaigning against the party. Zuma’s allies, such as Ace Magashule and Carl Niehaus, were expelled from the party following their transgressions of the party constitution. However, taking similar action on Zuma will not be a simple matter, said Nkala.
He said when the ANC fired Julius Malema, it lost the support of the youth, and they did not want to go that route.
The fact that ANC leaders have been silent shows they are aware of the implications of this.
Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast from Nelson Mandela University said it would be difficult for the ANC to act with haste in the matter of Zuma.
He said this was not an easy issue to deal with.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa was mum on Zuma’s decision to vote for the MK Party.
Ramaphosa said they were noting Zuma’s decision.
Breakfast said that Zuma’s decision to vote for the MK Party but remain an ANC member was a headache for the ANC because it could not act swiftly against him given his seniority and the fact that it was close to the elections.
“It’s a complex matter. You are stuck between a rock and a hard place,” said Breakfast.
What Zuma was doing was having a dual membership, but this is not allowed as the MK Party is not part of the ANC Tripartite Alliance.
Politics