The African National Congress (ANC) has set the date for the disciplinary hearing of its former president Jacob Zuma.
Initially, the hearing was scheduled to take place on 7 May at Luthuli House, the ruling party’s headquarters in Johannesburg. However, a letter was issued confirming that the hearing will take place after the elections citing security concerns.
WHEN IS JACOB ZUMA’S DISCIPLINARY HEARING?
Ahead of the 29 May polls, the ANC charged Zuma for contravening the party’s constitution including collaborating with another party.
Zuma is technically still a member of the ruling party, although he was suspended from the party in January after he declared his support for the newly-formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party which he now leads.
During the launch of the MK Party in December 2023, Zuma said he remains a member of the ANC but is not going to campaign nor vote for the party he once led. Instead, he endorsed the MK Party.
During a media briefing ahead of the announcement of the 29 May elections results, Mbalula confirmed that Zuma’s disciplinary hearing will go ahead.
“We said that before the elections it must be postponed until after the elections. That disciplinary process will continue. If we are going to ban on the fundamentals for political convenience, the ANC will not exist as a party,” he emphasised.
On Monday, 1 July, the ANC National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) confirmed that the disciplinary hearing will take place virtually on Wednesday, 17 July.
MK PARTY FINALLY TAKES THEIR SEATS IN PARLIAMENT
In June, representatives of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party were finally sworn in as members of Parliament (MPs), after initially missing the first sitting of the House, setting them on their way to earning about R100,000 per month as lawmakers.
The MK Party initially boycotted Parliament because they claimed, without evidence, that the 29 May elections were rigged but they will now take their oaths to uphold the Constitution of South Africa, a Constitution they aim to amend and replace with “African law”, as detailed in the party’s manifesto.
The MK party will be led in the National Assembly by former Western Cape judge president John Hlophe, who was impeached by members of Parliament earlier in 2024.
