He’s preferred not to be sworn in as a member of Parliament following a recommendation by an internal party committee.
ANC deputy president DD Mabuza will lead this country, his former friend Themba ‘Masofa’ Sgudla said Wednesday this week.
Mabuza this week surprised a lot of people when he asked not to be sworn in as member of Parliament until he appears before the ANC’s integrity committee.
Chaired by George Mashamba, the integrity committee deals with issues of the party’s ethics and values and had recommended that Mabuza, Zizi Kodwa, Nomvula Mokonyane, amongst others, be removed from the list of member going to parliament.
Sgudla said he was urging the people of South Africa to “watch the game” that Mabuza will play moving onwards.
“That man will lead this country. What he is currently doing he is testing the integrity of the integrity committee and will expose it. He is now busy working the ground already.
“He will show you whether or not the integrity committee is used to fight political battles. Watch the space,” said Sgudla.
Mabuza, a powerful politician from the Mpumalanga province, is believed to be someone who is not willing to be appointed the country’s deputy president after President Cyril Ramaphosa is inaugurated on 25 May 2019.
He is said to be someone who wants to remain at party’s head offices in central Johannesburg, together with treasurer Paul Mashatile and estranged friend secretary Ace Magashule.
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The integrity committee said they do not reveal what is within the report about Mabuza.
They say the report is the property of the ANC and that “the ball is in [NEC’s] court” to decide on those mentioned in the report.
“The power of the integrity commission is to make recommendations to the NEC and they have the power to decide on issues affecting their members,” said Mashamba.
Meanwhile, Cape Town University’s Professor Richard Calland told the Citizen newspaper that this looks like “the rebuilding of the Premier League” – a lobby group that was comprised of Mabuza, North West chair Supra Mahumapelo, Magashule and KZN chair Sihle Zikalala.
“The case of the deputy president…is something I find quite intriguing. Him removing himself from being appointed may be a ploy to strengthen his position within the ANC – a sign of the rebuilding of the ‘premier league’,” said Calland.
(edited by MLM)
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