MBOMBELA – Mpumalanga ANC and its youth league have strongly condemned the party’s chief whip, Mr Jackson Mthembu, for his recent call for the president, Mr Jacob Zuma, and his national executive committee to resign.
This follows after Mthembu reportedly slammed Zuma for using state organs to fight finance minister, Mr Pravin Gordhan, who is currently facing charges of fraud relating to former SARS commissioner, Mr Ivan Pillay’s retirement payout.
The provincial ANC and the youth league said they were disappointed with Mthembu for failing to follow proper channels in addressing issues. In separate press briefings held this week, both shared the sentiments that, if Mthembu felt that anyone should resign, it should be him.
Call for charges
While the ANC remained silent on its opinion of Mthembu’s conduct, the youth league accentuated that he should be charged for bringing the party into disrepute. “The secretary general should have acted with immediate effect. Mthembu was the one liaising with the media when Julius Malema and others were charged, disciplined and expelled for the same offence. The same formula should be used on him,” said provincial chairperson of the youth league, Mr Tim Mashele.
“Mthembu is an embarrassment”
The youth league said it was embarrassed by Mthembu as a deployee of the province. It added that it would engage with the provincial executive committee of the ANC to determine Mthembu’s membership standing in the province, and afterwards work on it. “The youth league is utterly dismayed, taken aback, angry, flabbergasted, disappointed and annoyed by the recent opportunistic stunts displayed by Mthembu,” said the league in a statement. “In fact, we are embarrassed,” added the party’s treasurer, Mr Sam Shabangu.
“Go to rehab or resign and open a bottle store”
Mashele further said Mthembu should retire from politics, and go home and look after his grandchildren and cattle. “Alcoholics Anonymous should be consulted if Mthembu has relapsed, given his background of being fond of Jack Daniels.When he wants to resign, he should do so alone and not plunge the country into crises. We will rest when the ANC takes action against him or decides to take him to rehab. We think it’s time comrade Mthembu retires, opens a bottle store and drinks himself to death,” said Mashele.
