Former ANC President Thabo Mbeki has defended and commended his party’s handling of its stand-off with its defiant former leader Jacob Zuma, who is now leading his party, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
Zuma was suspended in January for violating rule 25.60 of the ANC’s constitution after he publicly announced on December 16 that he would not vote or campaign for the ruling party but instead endorse the MKP in the 2024 polls.
“The position by the leadership and I think they are right about it. There are certain set procedures in the constitution of the ANC as to how you expel a member that is necessary for it to respect that constitution so that it does not behave in a lawless manner,” said Mbeki.
“Therefore, the decision to take him to the disciplinary committee. That is in the constitution.”
He addressed the party's campaign trail in Soweto, Johannesburg on Thursday, where he promised people that the ANC would change for the better.
Mbeki said the delay in expelling Zuma was not an act of cowardice but loyalty to its constitution.
“This is the same way we must be loyal to the national constitution. So the position that the ANC leadership has taken in terms of procedure is correct,” he maintained.
During his campaign trail, Mbeki said the people would decide whether they vote for them to remain in power or otherwise.
“The ANC would go to the people to say you know who we are, this is what we want to do and say in our manifesto. We recognise our weaknesses in ourselves and this is what we are going to do to correct them. So it’s the people who will answer that,” he said.
He reiterated his call for the people to vote for the ANC.
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