Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has come out in support of ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu after he was publicly attacked by a group of party MPs this week over a debate on state capture.
Speaking during a session with members of parliament's Press Gallery Association‚ Ramaphosa hit out at the group of MPs‚ seen as supporters of President Jacob Zuma.
The ANC presidential hopeful said action should be taken against the ANC MPs‚ who accused Mthembu of colluding with the DA on the scheduling of this week's state capture debate.
Ramaphosa‚ who is seen as one of the leading contenders to replace Zuma at the party's national conference scheduled for next month‚ said the MPs should have raised their concerns internally‚ rather than at a press conference.
The MPs are part of a group that recently arrived uninvited at the ANC headquarters in a failed mission to persuade party leaders to instruct parliament to abort its inquiry into state capture allegations.
Ramaphosa said the necessary party structures were dealing with the matter after Mthembu reported the group to party bosses.
"That is serious ill discipline. My view is that MPs who attacked their own chief whip in the most public way did show great ill discipline. If they have concerns about the chief whip‚ they should have raised it in the party‚" the deputy president said.
"They should have raised it with the chief whip himself. But the matter is being discussed. I take a very dim view on the manner this issue was raised. They came across‚ this is how it might be looked at and interpreted‚ that these people are in favour of state capture."
Ramaphosa lashes state capture rebel MPs
Image: MASI LOSI
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has come out in support of ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu after he was publicly attacked by a group of party MPs this week over a debate on state capture.
Speaking during a session with members of parliament's Press Gallery Association‚ Ramaphosa hit out at the group of MPs‚ seen as supporters of President Jacob Zuma.
The ANC presidential hopeful said action should be taken against the ANC MPs‚ who accused Mthembu of colluding with the DA on the scheduling of this week's state capture debate.
Ramaphosa‚ who is seen as one of the leading contenders to replace Zuma at the party's national conference scheduled for next month‚ said the MPs should have raised their concerns internally‚ rather than at a press conference.
The MPs are part of a group that recently arrived uninvited at the ANC headquarters in a failed mission to persuade party leaders to instruct parliament to abort its inquiry into state capture allegations.
Ramaphosa said the necessary party structures were dealing with the matter after Mthembu reported the group to party bosses.
"That is serious ill discipline. My view is that MPs who attacked their own chief whip in the most public way did show great ill discipline. If they have concerns about the chief whip‚ they should have raised it in the party‚" the deputy president said.
"They should have raised it with the chief whip himself. But the matter is being discussed. I take a very dim view on the manner this issue was raised. They came across‚ this is how it might be looked at and interpreted‚ that these people are in favour of state capture."
Royal approval for Cyril Ramaphosa in Eastern Cape
Ramaphosa‚ who was engaging parliamentary correspondents in his capacity as leader of government in the national legislature‚ said the oversight institution had performed well in 2017.
He said parliament this year tackled issues of national importance‚ such as the nationalisation of banks‚ the motion of no confidence brought against Zuma and the various oversight inquiries by portfolio committees.
"One of the things that will stand out from 2017 is the growing confidence of a parliament which holds the executive to account. This year we have seen how our democracy continues to grow and to mature. This means our institutions are working‚" said Ramaphosa.
-TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
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