ANC MP Mondli Gungubele has agreed to stop speaking out in public to say he will vote with the opposition in a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.
Gungubele was accused of displaying "the worst form of ill-discipline" by party chief whip Jackson Mthembu after he indicated he would not vote according to the party line.
ANC MP Makhosi Khoza was hit by a similar backlash — and is facing disciplinary proceedings — after openly calling for Zuma’s resignation.
ANC provincial office bearers have met with Gungubele. "After affording comrade Gungubele an opportunity to explain himself‚ he was advised and requested to desist from making any further public pronouncements on the matter‚" the party’s provincial secretary Hope Mankwana Papo said in a statement. "He accepted the advice … and made a commitment not to make any further comments on the matter. All the issues have to be dealt with through established, internal organisational mechanisms."
Mthembu had earlier called on the party leadership to take action against Gungubele‚ the "latest ANC MP to join a defiance campaign to publicly pronounce that he will not vote according to the ANC party line in the upcoming motion of no confidence in President Zuma by the opposition in Parliament".
For the motion to succeed‚ at least 50 of the 249 ANC MPs would need to break ranks. While more ANC MPs were likely to openly endorse an opposition motion to remove Zuma from office‚ their numbers would not be enough for the motion to succeed‚ party insiders in Parliament said.
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