The secretary of the ANC youth league in Mpumalanga has launched a scathing attack on the chief whip of the party in parliament, calling him a drunkard.
ANCYL Mpumalanga provincial secretary Pholoso Mbatsane told journalists that Jackson Mthembu’s recent comments were his attempt to gain political relevance as the party moves towards the national conference late next year.
Mbatsane was addressing the media at the party’s provincial headquarters in Mbombela on Tuesday afternoon and launched the attacks on Mthembu following a previous one by provincial secretary Mandla Ndlovu on Monday.
READ: Mandla Ndlovu shocked at ‘unmandated’ Jackson Mthembu
“As the ANCYL in Mpumalanga we take a dim view against such blatant opportunism of Hollywood style politics of flirting with media, what comrade Jackson Mthembu did is totally out of order and constitute ill-discipline thus we call upon the ANC to call him into order and subject him to internal disciplinary processes.
“It can’t be correct that a person entrusted with a huge leadership responsibility to lead the ANC party caucus in parliament will unleash such an offensive against the leadership of the ANC, especially in these trying times of the national democratic revolution where forces who are opposed to us are seriously at play to dislodge and liquidate the revolutionary people’s movement ad dethrone it out of power.
“He must lead by example and resign so that he can reconnect with his alcoholism without interruption,” Mbatsane said at the party’s boardroom.
He said the Alcohol Anonymous would have to be contacted “if Mthembu has relapsed on his gargantuan alcohol intake given his historical background of being fond of Jack Daniels”.
“A seasoned cadre of his caliber should have waited for the ANC NEC meeting to cough out his barb than grandstanding in the media, such is unwarranted and shows serious signs of ill-discipline,” he said.
READ ALSO: ‘It’s unheard of that an NEC member would tell us what he’s going to say in an NEC meeting’ – Ndlovu
“We call upon him to allow the law to take its course as far as Minister Pravin Gordhan is concerned.
“He must stop his desperate attempt to support Minister Pravin and disregard the Constitution as its states all shall be equal before the law,” he said.
Mbatsane was flanked by the provincial youth chairman Tim Mashele, treasurer Sam Masango, provincial deputy secretary Sonto Mnguni and a member of the league’s provincial executive committee in the province, Bheki Sithole.
He said the last time they witnessed a behaviour like this from Mthembu was during his days of “alcohol activism” when he drove on the bus route in Cape Town.
“Hence we suspect that he has relapsed, he needs urgent help,” said Mbatsane.
“He is on record saying his view didn’t emerge in the NWC he couldn’t hold his horse till the NEC meeting which is the highest decision making body in between congresses.
“This cannot be deemed character of the ANC’s leadership to show disregard for the tradition and norms of the movement so unashamedly and unsympathetically, disregard internal organisational process while claiming to be principled,” he added.
(edited by MLM)
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