COSATU boss Zwelinzima Vavi says the alliance is in charge and the government, especially ministers, have to implement what it says.

This is wrong and should not be tolerated. ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe publicly dresses down ministers, ordering them to Luthuli House. Why does Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan have to account to Mantashe when he is not the leader of Cabinet?

Will he also call Deputy Agriculture Minister Pieter Mulder to Luthuli House each time the Freedom Front Plus leader makes a statement contrary to the ruling party's policies?

The Constitution, as the supreme law of the country, governs the relations between the president and his ministers and other spheres of government. The Constitution says the president has to appoint ministers who will account to him on responsibilities accorded them in line with this supreme law.

Hogan was appointed by President Jacob Zuma in line with powers conferred on him by the Constitution. If she does not perform it is Zuma's responsibility, not Mantashe's, to take action.

The ANC can only intervene if it feels the president is unwilling or incapable of performing his duties.

Hogan should have been summoned to the Union Buildings, not to the ANC's headquarters. There must be a clear distinction between party and state. This distinction is important because once it disappears the degeneration into cronyism, a fight for resources and dictatorship goes into overdrive.

Otherwise we might start to believe that the country is indeed being run by Vavi and Mantashe.

Samson Muavha, Davhana Village