The African National Congress would not clarify who was part of its top six meeting that it said takes place every Monday “without fail”, even though Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Mpumalanga as part of president Samora Machel’s 30th commemorations in Mbuzini.
ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa would not be drawn into the details of the meeting.
“The meeting takes place every Monday at 10am without fail, whether a top six member was present or not,” he said. He would not say who was at the meeting.
Journalists covering the Machel commemorations in Mbuzini confirmed that Ramaphosa, who delivered a key note speech, arrived before 11am at the event. Secretary-general Gwede Mantashe was reportedly in China, while President Jacob Zuma arrived in the country early Monday from the BRICS summit in India.
Mondays are set aside for ANC matters by party heavy weights at its headquarters, Luthuli House in Johannesburg. The party’s top six consists of Zuma, his deputy Ramaphosa, party chairwoman Baleka Mbete, Mantashe, his deputy Jessie Duarte and treasurer Zweli Mkhize.
Ongoing tensions in the ruling party has reached boiling point as ANC leaders were reportedly divided over the fraud charges laid against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan by the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA).
Ramaphosa, ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu and some anti-apartheid struggle veterans have come out publicly in support of Gordhan. Gordhan’s tenure at the national Treasury was seen as an obstacle by those in power who wanted to take control of the public purse.
Gordhan was summoned to court on November 2, along with former SA Revenue Services (SARS) commissioner Oupa Magashula and former deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay.
Gordhan, in damning affidavits filed in the North Gauteng High Court asking for a ruling that he was not legally bound to interfere in the country’s banks’ affairs after the big four banks severed ties with the Guptas several months ago.
Gordhan’s affidavit detailed suspicious financial transactions by the controversial Gupta family and its companies totalling R6.8 billion since 2012 reported by the Financial Intelligence Centre. The affidavit was to show that the big four banks were not in the wrong when they shut down the Gupta accounts.
The family, which have a close relationship with Zuma, formed most part of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s investigation into allegations of state capture allegedly by the wealthy family, seen to be wielding too much influence in the affairs of Zuma-led State and its entities, including decisions on the appointment of cabinet ministers.
However, the report was locked away after Zuma and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen sought to interdict Madonsela, with the president saying he was not given enough time to respond accordingly by Madonsela. Newly appointed Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has taken over from Madonsela, whose seven-year contract ended on Friday.
The court would hear the applications for interdict on November 1.
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