Durban: An ANC executive committee member in eThekwini has landed in hot water for “naming and shaming” his party members who tried to get rid of their leader this week.
Stanley Moonsamy posted the names of those he believed voted against President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday in the no-confidence motion brought by opposition parties.
He claimed on his page that ANC “rats” who voted with the opposition had been paid R2billion.
“Shame on these cadres - you betrayed the organisation. Just as you voted secretly you should secretly resign as a member of the ANC and of Parliament. Now,” the controversial post read.
He posted the names of 26 ANC MPs he believed voted erroneously.
He commented: “Back in the days, some of these cadres on the list taught us that when rats sided with the enemy, which was the opposition attacking the ANC, we should put a tyre around their necks and burn them, which we called a necklace.
“Resign.”
“The ANC is not your home. This is the choice you made.”
ANC KZN spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli hit back issuing a statement on Thursday, calling on all ANC leaders, members and supporters to refrain from participating on social networks in a manner that compromised the movement’s unity.
“It is understandable that the decision of some ANC members in the National Assembly to vote with the opposition parties caused deep pain and disappointment. The position of the ANC in KZN is that the national executive committee should act decisively against any member found to have betrayed the position of the ANC.
“We have noted a list containing names of some of the ANC MPs circulating on social media which we view as an attempt to further deepen divisions in the ANC national caucus,” said Ntuli.
Picture: Facebook
Ntuli mentioned Moonsamy’s post in the statement and said it cast serious aspersions on certain ANC MPs without providing credible evidence to support a claim of an amount of R2 billion used to influence voting in the National Assembly.
“The ANC provincial leadership has directed comrade Stanley (Moonsamy) to urgently and within 48 hours withdraw and unconditionally apologise for his unfounded assertion.
“It is our firm view that during this hour of challenges and difficulties our movement must close ranks while acting firmly against those furthering divisions.
“We have faith in the capacity of the office of the secretary-general, cadre Gwede Mantashe, to investigate and discipline all those MPs who betrayed the party line,” said Ntuli.
Moonsamy commented on his original post, retracting his remarks but did not apologise.
When the Sunday Tribune Herald asked Moonsamy how he got the list of names and money allegedly offered to defiant members, he said: “I was instructed to remove my remarks and I have done that. I will not say anything further on this matter.”
The 48 hours expired yesterday.
Ntuli said if Moonsamy failed to withdraw the remarks and apologise, “we will charge him and he will have to appear before a disciplinary hearing,” Ntuli said.
He said the list containing the names of the 26 ANC MPs who were alleged to have voted with the opposition was fake.
“The R2billion alleged to have been paid to them is also fake,” Ntuli said.
Speaking outside Parliament on Tuesday after surviving the motion of no confidence, Zuma hinted that some MPs had been bought to vote with the opposition. “When they give you money, take it and pay for children’s fees but vote right,” Zuma said, to cheers.