Mbeki: It would be wrong to postpone Zuma's disciplinary until after elections

Source: EWN Traffic
Author: Alpha Ramushwana, Thabiso Goba

JOHANNESBURG - Former African National Congress (ANC) president, Thabo Mbeki said it would be wrong for the organisation to delay Jacob Zuma's disciplinary hearing until the conclusion of the upcoming elections.

In January, Zuma was suspended from the ANC for bringing the party into disrepute after announcing he would be campaigning and voting for the MK party.

Earlier this week, the party summoned Zuma to appear before its disciplinary committee over his endorsement of the newly established uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.

READ: Mbeki welcomes ANC's decision to summon Zuma to a disciplinary hearing

Speaking on the sidelines of his election campaign in Soshanguve on Friday, Mbeki said even if the ANC loses votes, Zuma must be called to account as soon as possible.

"You can't postpone it until after the elections, it would be wrong. The right thing to do to any person, a very senior person like him - former president of the ANC who has done something which is grossly in violation of the constitution, the ANC must act. I think they have acted and I think it's correct."

Meanwhile, former ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe called on the party to be fair in dealing with Zuma's case.

Speaking on the sidelines of a campaign trail in Diepkloof, Motlanthe said Zuma's case has to be handled within the prescripts of the ANC constitution.

"In all cases of ill-discipline there two standards to measure fairness the first one is whether you have a substantive case against the individual, the second one is whether you followed fair procedures so procedural fairness is one of the test ... being fair and just to whoever you have a relationship with as an organisation."