Mantashe denies ANC Integrity Commission said Zuma must go

If the ANC’s Integrity Commission had acted with integrity and approved its own recommendation that President Jacob Zuma step down, then by now “Zuma would be history” and there would have been no need for a parliamentary no-confidence debate, says a member of the party’s national executive committee (NEC).

“He would have had no choice but to step down,” the NEC member said.

However, Zuma and his allies effectively pulled the teeth of the only body in the ANC which could have held him accountable for his links with the Guptas and state capture. And now, the Integrity Commission is having its own integrity questioned after it emerged that some members deliberately failed to sign off on its recommendation that Zuma step down.

The Citizen has been reliably informed the same members were lobbied by Zuma sympathisers not to sign, with the aim of nullifying the report. The Zuma followers were also intent on winning the commission chairperson, Andrew Mlangeni, to their side.

Although the Rivonia trialist was booked off sick, the Zuma henchmen allegedly dragged him from his sickbed to attend the recent ANC national policy conference. They wanted to spite the 101 stalwarts and veterans who had boycotted the conference by having Mlangeni appear on the platform alongside Zuma.

The commission, appointed by the ANC in 2013, was concerned about Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle in March, about which he failed to inform even his fellow top six officials in the party.

The commission recommended that Zuma must go, in the interest of the country, but he refused.

City Press yesterday reported that Zuma had informed the commission that it was “the West” that wanted him to go.

When contacted yesterday, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said no recommendations were received from the Integrity Commission.

The source said Zuma sympathisers had approached some commission members and convinced them not to sign the recommendation.

– ericn@citizen.co.za