Honolulu Star Bulletin - Thukukile Zuma Resigns from ANC Johannesburg Leadership Amid Disciplinary Dispute

Thukukile Zuma has resigned from the African National Congress’s Johannesburg regional executive committee (REC), accusing party leadership of attempting to silence her for speaking out against what she describes as organizational dysfunction. Her departure marks a significant escalation in internal tensions within the ruling party’s stronghold, following disciplinary proceedings initiated over her social media activity and alleged neglect of official duties.

In a letter dated November 10 addressed to regional secretary Sasabona Manganye, Zuma clarified that her resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing or a withdrawal of her commitment to the party. Instead, she stated that her decision reflected a belief that the ANC had strayed far from its founding principles, with little prospect for self-correction under current regional and national leadership.

“I cannot escape the conclusion that the present disciplinary proceedings constitute an attempt to purge me from the structure on account of my unwillingness to remain silent in the face of what I believe to be organisational wrongdoing and dysfunctionality both at a regional and national level,” Zuma wrote. She added that it was “particularly regrettable” that the party’s structures had reached a point where principled disagreement was treated as misconduct rather than fostering an environment for constructive political engagement.

The disciplinary action against Zuma began in October, when Manganye informed her that the Johannesburg region was considering charges over her alleged failure to discharge responsibilities as an REC member and a series of social media posts. In a letter dated October 15, Manganye requested written representations explaining why charges should not be instituted, attaching a schedule detailing dates and alleged instances of non-performance. He asked Zuma to provide details regarding any apologies, approved leave, competing organizational deployments, work completed, or prior communications that might explain the alleged lapses.

Among the cited social media posts was one in which Zuma criticized the ANC’s handling of its councillor candidate list submission for the upcoming local government elections. The party failed to submit 181 candidates to the Electoral Commission of South Africa by the deadline, resulting in their exclusion from the lists. In her post, Zuma described the leadership’s lack of accountability as “extreme negligence and potentially even internal sabotage,” stating, “Things are not normal in the @MYANC.”

Zuma also faced scrutiny for posts supporting ANC national executive member Andile Lungisa in his legal case against ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. Mbalula had been removed from the ANC’s councillor candidate list, and Zuma attended court to support him. She wrote that Mbalula had illegally removed Lungisa and botched the submission process, adding that “our movement is under siege.” In another post, she remarked, “We welcome the judgement but we don’t welcome the crocodile tears.”

In her resignation letter, Zuma argued that her utterances were responses to what she regarded as misconduct by Mbalula in handling the candidate list submission process. She expressed disappointment that the party chose to pursue disciplinary action against her for speaking out rather than confronting the substantive issues raised.

Zuma further alleged that the REC had repeatedly failed to convene required meetings, denying members platforms to raise concerns or deliberate on organizational matters. She described an “unacceptable culture of censorship and intolerance of dissent,” citing the muting of members in Zoom meetings and the manipulation of WhatsApp groups used for REC communication. According to Zuma, members expressing views disagreeable to the regional secretary had been arbitrarily removed from these groups, a practice she said she had personally endured on numerous occasions.

She characterized the challenges within the REC as reflective of a broader organizational culture where robust political engagements were being replaced by authoritarian tendencies, factional intolerance, and the suppression of dissenting voices. Zuma recalled participating in a picket outside a meeting of the party’s national executive committee after the 2024 elections to oppose the formation of a government of national unity that included the Democratic Alliance. She noted that threats of disciplinary action had followed her political opposition to that arrangement.

“Perhaps if the REC had met and deliberated on this issue, one would have been able to deposit their views on the matter and warned against the ideological disjuncture of the inclusion of the DA and the negative impact that will have on the ANC’s next electoral outcome,” Zuma wrote. She argued that such intolerance of dissent was in direct opposition to the best interests of both the party and the people of South Africa.

Zuma also questioned whether her treatment was linked to her family background, noting the manner in which the ANC had treated her father, former President Jacob Zuma, and her mother, former Health Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. “Given the manner in which the ANC has treated former president Jacob Zuma and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, I cannot help but question whether the treatment I now endure is, in part, a consequence of my DNA,” she wrote.

Senior sources within the Johannesburg REC told the Mail & Guardian that Zuma had not participated in the party’s local government election campaign. The resignation underscores deepening fractures within the ANC’s leadership structures as the party grapples with internal dissent and organizational challenges ahead of critical electoral periods.

W.Maile--HStB