Hajra Omarjee
14 October 2008
Johannesburg — IN ITS strongest action yet against African National Congress (ANC) dissidents, the party last night suspended former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota and former deputy defence minister Mluleki George.
It vowed to suspend "any other member" in its ranks who had "indicated in words or action their intention to establish a party in opposition to the ANC".
Lekota reacted with "surprise" to the news of the suspension, saying during a TV interview last night that a disciplinary committee should have sat to take such a decision. George was not available for comment last night.
The ANC will also hold a special national executive committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the political impasse .
The ANC has been careful - since Lekota's announcement last week that he was "serving divorce papers" on the ANC - not to alienate disgruntled members in its ranks. But it has become increasingly clear that ANC rebels were using the party's internal structures to mobilise against the organisation. This just months before the next general election.
The ANC national working committee, which met in Bloemfontein yesterday, said it could not "allow its structures to be used for purposes of undermining and betraying the organisation".
"The (national working committee) believes that this action will address any confusion that may have been created by people speaking for the ANC at meetings not arranged or sanctioned by the ANC," the party said last night.
It is understood that yesterday's meeting between Lekota and ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa failed to resolve the deadlock. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Lekota said Phosa did not have the mandate of the national working committee to speak and that he was disappointed with the discussions.
Last week, Lekota said he recognised ANC president Jacob Zuma as the legitimate leader of the party but he believed that Zuma was pushing the organisation away from its policies - a message that Lekota has taken on the road, canvassing support for an alternative to the ANC.
Mobilisation ahead of the launch of the new party continued yesterday. George and Lekota addressed rallies throughout Eastern Cape in an attempt to drum up support.
It is seemingly open warfare in Northern Cape and Western Cape, with ANC rebels yesterday saying they had "begged" the party's top brass to give them a hearing and that the time for talks was over.
"The provincial conference was rigged. We have written letters to Gwede (Mantashe, ANC secretary-general ) and Zuma with no response. We have been frustrated for a long time and the ANC national executive committee have made it clear that they do not care. We're giving Lekota the thumps up," a source in Northern Cape said.
Sources in both provinces said ANC regional meetings had been convened "under the nose" of the party's Northern Cape chairman, John Block, and his Western Cape counterpart, Mcebisi Skwatsha.
ANC dissidents in Limpopo and Free State admitted support for the new party was coming in "drips and drabs".
A group of disgruntled Free State ANC members announced yesterday that a provincial convention would be held on Sunday to asses the level of unhappiness with the ANC.
While rebels in North West and Eastern Cape said the situation "was too fluid to call", party insiders - in both provinces - said leaders needed to be seen to be "toeing" the official line.
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Comrade "Terror" Lekota should have been disciplined immidiately after giving a press conference about the ANC without an authorization by the legitimate leadership of the organision.It was said in the media that the press briefing was to announce a new political party,and this ended up not being the case, instead he used the platform to down grade the current leadership of the ANC and justify his anger at the ANC. I therefore think the ANC treated him with kids gloves as i do not think the same could have been done to any other loyal member of the ANC who hold no elective position in the movement as he is.I believe no other political party could tollerate such a behaviour accept the ANC. It is puzzling that the media hand find Mr Lekotas ultering about a Freedom Charter worth news, as his deeds and his history says the contrary. The Freedom Charter says there shall be free and compulsory education for all, and indeed i have not heard him championing this in all the platforms he had as a cabinet member and a Chairperson of the ANC for 10 years. To me he only remembered the Freedom Charter after loosing power and influence within the ANC after Polokwane, and when he needs to create his own little kingdom just as those Of Major Genl. Bantu Holomisa (UDM)leader and Dr. Mangosuthu Buthelezi (IFP). About the mentioning of tribalism in his briefings scared me to death as i have experience of the consequences of using such words, more expecially if such words could be used by a person who should know better about the history of this country, and than went back to address a gathering full of people of one tribe opposite that he mentioned in a press conference.True the ANC has worked so hard to build this nation as one people in their diversity therefore the word tribalism does not exist in our South African language and i wonder where did he get it from and i suggest he has to take it back cause we do not need it now and forever. i think he deserve suspention together with those that employes similar tactics when they loose positions democratically.