The African National Congress (ANC) National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) has expelled its former President, Jacob Zuma.
According to a leaked ANC document which is yet to be confirmed by the party, the decision follows last week’s virtual hearing by the NDC which found him guilty.
“The charged member is found guilty of contravening Rule 25.17.17.4 of the ANC constitution, read with subsection (2), for prejudicing the integrity or repute of the organisation by actin in collaboration with a registered political party, uMkhonto We Sizwe Party (MK Party), which is not in alliance with the ANC, in a manner contrary to the aims, policies and objectives of the ANC.
The charged member is expelled from the ANC.
The charged member has the right to appeal to the National Disciplinary Committee of the Appeal within 21 days,” said ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula during a media briefing in Johannesburg.
According to the NDC findings, on 16 December 2023 Zuma addressed a public meeting of MKP and expressed his dissatisfaction with the ANC and said he would be voting for the MK Party in the 2024 General Election and disclosed that he was involved with the registration of the MK Party as a political party and gave it his blessing.
“Former President Jacob Zuma has actively impugned the integrity of the ANC and campaigned to dislodge the ANC from power, while claiming that he had not severed his membership.
This conduct is irreconcilable with the spirit of organisational discipline and letter of the ANC Constitution.
Furthermore, former President Zuma has been running on a dangerous platform that casts doubt on our entire constitutional edifice,” added Mbalula.
Zuma is the first party’s former president to be expelled from the ANC, in its more than 100 years history.
Meanwhile, Zuma party, MK, has described the hearing as a Kangaroo court, adding that it is shocked to hear of the NDC’s verdict in the media.
“It is a foundational legal principle that no individual, not even those accused of serious crimes, should be punished and sentenced in their absence.
This principle is designed to protect against miscarriages of justice, which sadly, this scenario closely mirrors, resembling a trial conducted through the media.
This is clearly a continuation of an apartheid style and trend, wherein President Zuma was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment without a fair trial nor an option for a fine,” read a statement from MKP.
The statement added that Zuma will engage his legal team to determine the course of action.
