NTOMBI NKOSI AND MASHUDU SADIKE
President Cyril Ramaphosa seems to have intensified his apparent plan to oust his political enemies ahead of the ANC national elective conference this Friday.
He is seeking re-election for the position of president when more than 4 000 delegates gather to cast their vote at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.
The latest to bite the dust is Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe, who was suspended two days before the start of the conference even though he is not a politician.
The suspension comes after the Judicial Conduct Tribunal found Hlophe to have “breached the provisions of Section 165 of the Constitution by improperly attempting to influence the two Justices of the Constitutional Court to violate their oaths of office”.
Ramaphosa made his decision following advice from the Judicial Service Commission, citing that in May 2008, 11 justices of the Constitutional Court lodged a complaint against Judge Hlophe for his”improper attempt to influence the outcome of certain cases pending before the Constitutional Court in favour of former president Jacob Zuma”.
Ramaphosa and Zuma have not seen eye to eye since the the former president’s resignation in 2009. Zuma was forced to resign under Ramaphosa’s leadership.
The bloodbath began with suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule.
Magashule was forced to step aside despite not being found guilty of any criminal charge. He is charged with corruption.
Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini was another threat to Ramaphosa’s ascension to the ANC’s top seat. She was dealt a blow by the party’s electoral committee, which disqualified her from being among party delegates contesting for a national executive committee nomination.
This week saw the expulsion of ANC veteran Carl Niehaus, a fierce opponent of Ramaphosa. Niehaus was expelled for bringing the party into disrepute, nut has since announced he is appealing the decision.
In a turn of events, ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni won his appeal against his disqualification from standing for a position.
Yengeni is also an outspoken critic of Ramaphosa and had called for his arrest and for him to step down over the Phala Phala scandal. He will be eligible to stand to be re-elected to the NEC.
The ANC’s electoral committee confirmed that he was no longer disqualified, because they had received confirmation from the police that his criminal record had been expunged.
A letter to Yengeni read: “We wish to confirm that you are no longer disqualified from being a candidate for the NEC position during the national conference. We thank you for your co-operation and that this matter is amicably resolved and we wish you well in your future endeavours.”
Yengeni was convicted of fraud years ago after it was found he had acquired a Mercedes-Benz irregularly.
Speculation was rife that Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma might be suspended from ANC as a result of her decision to vote against the party line in the Phala Phala matter in Parliament on Tuesday.
Dlamini Zuma, Lindiwe Sisulu and Dr Zweli Mkhize have all set their eyes on the position of ANC president.
A conference delegate told Independent Media at the accreditation centre at FNB Stadium that the timing of Ramaphosa’s culling was “surprising”.
“Why now? It can't be that days before the conference people are being taken out like that? What would the reason be? Accept it, because he is getting rid of those who are against him,” said the delegate who preferred to remain anonymous.