Seems Xolani Gwala of Radio 702 is concerned about the 'Mantashing' of disciplinary action in the ANC.
The radio presenter interviewed the ANC's secretary general on his show on Tuesday morning.
The ANC on Monday called for disciplinary action against MP Mondli Gungubele, whom they referred to as "ill-disciplined" for saying he will not vote against the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
Read: ANC -- We're 'Not Planning' For Vote Of No Confidence In Zuma To Succeed
Gwala asked Mantashe if the disciplinary action of members of the party is applied consistently because there were other members apart from Gungubele who had acted against the party in the past.
"We are not a party of free agents. We are an organisation, we take decisions, we have discussions," Mantashe said.
He was referring to the issue of President Jacob Zuma being called on to step down. Mantashe said this had already been debated twice in NEC meetings, and they had decided against asking Zuma to leave. He said anyone who did not agree with the decisions made by the ANC could resign.
"Therefore we cannot have parliamentarians who are free agents who are all over the show who talk as they like, who do as they wish. If they think that they have no confidence in the ANC decision-making they have a right to step down from Parliament themselves as well," Mantashe said.
Gwala, however, pushed Mantashe on consistency and asked him why the president said white monopoly capital exists even though a decision seemed to have been made at the ANC policy conference in Gauteng that monopoly capital is the real issue.
"The policy conference accepted that the main focus and the enemy of the revolution is monopoly capital. And therefore that is the form but the management and the control and the ownership of the economy is white and therefore whiteness is more talking to the content of the monopoly capital and therefore it is form and content. That debate is continuing," Mantashe said.
When Gwala asked Mantashe about ANCYL members who had shouted down speakers at the Ahmed Kathrada memorial service in Durban, Mantashe said the ANC doesn't go around throwing the disciplinary code at its members. Instead, it has conversations with them. He said this is what they had done with Gungubele. Mantashe did not address the issue of youth league members.
"We had a session with him -- 'Ukuba hey mhlekazi' -- don't continue this way it is not the right thing as we did with Makhosi Khoza so we don't run around with a disciplinary code we speak to our members and if they actually correct their behaviour we don't fire people all over the show. We don't do that. We talk to members of the ANC then disciplinary action in the form of a disciplinary process is the tail-end of the process."
Some people on social media who were listening to the show did not seem to be happy with Mantashe.
@gwalax Dont know why Gwede Mantashe is still being interviewed? He has become as illogical as his NEC's decision making...
— Marcel Harmse (@MinionOfWar) August 1, 2017
Only #PresidentZuma is allowed 2 use his conscience when reshuffling cabinet & not follow party line. For MP's it's ill discipline. @gwalax
— Bulekman (@Bulekman1) August 1, 2017
Clearly @MYANC@GwedeMantashe1 have lost the plot. They are tired. No innovation abt falling economy. No inspiration @zizikodwa . @gwalax
— A Daniels (@ADaniel26099125) August 1, 2017
Mantashe dodges your questions using long confusing statements that lack substance, take that monopoly capital question for instance @gwalax
— Simphiwe Mandlesilo (@Simcardzz) August 1, 2017
This user did not seem to agree that Mantashe was dodging questions.
Was I listening to the same interview? Unobhala was very clear. Xolani lacked the context of issues. The WMC matter is a continuing debate.
— Political Higi Haga (@khaya_buthelez) August 1, 2017
There is no final resolution on the #WMC issue until the conference in Dec.
— Political Higi Haga (@khaya_buthelez) August 1, 2017
In the interview, Mantashe told Gwala that the removal of Eskom's CFO might be a step in the right direction. This user questioned action against Anoj Singh.
@gwalax Dont know why Gwede Mantashe is still being interviewed? He has become as illogical as his NEC's decision making...
— Marcel Harmse (@MinionOfWar) August 1, 2017
On whether the ANC wanted the vote of no confidence to be secret or open, Mantashe said the ANC would do whatever the speaker wants and this is what they told her.
