The ANC Secretary General has been poured cold water over speculation that party vice-president Paul Mashatile will be sworn in as a Member of Parliament this week.
If sworn in, Mashatile is expected to become the country’s deputy president after incumbent David Mabuza failed to make the party’s NEC list and has sent a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa about his intention to vacate the parliamentary office.
Speculation about Mashatile’s possible swearing-in as an MP is rife following the resignation of two MPs in the National Assembly.
On Monday, Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, announced that MPs Mervyn Dirks and Tshilidzi Munyai had handed in their resignations.
David Mabuza has not resigned
Asked about Mashatile’s possible swearing in, Mbalula said Mabuza had not resigned.
READ MORE: Presidency won’t confirm David Mabuza wants to step down as vice president
“He did not finish at the last conference; he is a disciplined movement cadre. He is not a chaotic, orderly, honest person,” said Mbalula.
“There is a vice president who has now been elected. If the vice president resigns, the president can appoint him or another member as vice president.”
Mbalula made the comments yesterday while addressing members of the media at the party’s headquarters, Luthuli House, following the NEC Lekgotla held at the weekend.
“Ideally the vice president of the ANC is the vice president of the country. When that happens, the president will announce it. When the vice president steps down and we feel a void, we will let you know.
He said when the president has decided to fill the vacancies left by those who resigned; he will bring a replacement to the ANC and the alliance before making a public announcement about it.
“The media wants to open with the story that I predicted when [the president would announce his replacements.] Ideally, these issues should be resolved so that there is stability and we can move forward.
‘Coalition parties can’t’
Mbalula admitted that the coalition government could not work even though his party had taken the lead in destabilizing DA-led metros like Johannesburg.
The record comes barely a week after the election of Thapelo Amad of Al Jamah-Ah as the executive mayor of Johannesburg whose political party has only three seats in the council.
NOW Read: Joburg Mayor Thapelo Amad will be sworn in today
‘stopgap’
He denied allegations that the ANC and EFF were using Amad as a stopgap until they settled their squabbles.
“There are people who say why we give a party with three seats in the council, what to do when you are not in the government? What the public needs to know is that a coalition is not possible,” he said.
“We work with the same people; we will not work with the DA or Freedom Front Plus. In everything we have done in the coalition, we have never worked with the right wing and successively.
He also opined that despite the failure of the DA in the Johannesburg and Tshwane metros, the ANC has not set the best example when it comes to governing.
“We have identified 42 municipalities, we will go down there to fix them starting from Mangaung. There is nothing good in Mangaung in terms of governance and the ANC has long recognized it. There are many such municipalities in the country, but we will intervene,” he said.
Mbalula criticized Malema’s dead phone call
Mbalula also echoed Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema’s call for a national shutdown amid the energy crisis and for Ramaphosa to step down.
Malema announced on Sunday that his party plans to shut down the country’s economy on March 20.
“A national shutdown means no schools, universities, factories and no business will be open that day,” Malema said.
“All municipalities and all major cities will be closed and there will be no work on that day. All major roads will be blocked and all ports of entry including roads leading to the border will be closed.
Mbalula said the EFF raised this as political distance.
“If they do not close the country and promote anarchy, the relevance is lost. To attract people, it is necessary to close the district. They will not be a civil organization that does the right thing,” he said.
“Why are you promoting anarchy when you can march and raise your voice, why do you want to prevent people from working because the EFF has blocked the road.”
Also read: ‘No trucks, buses will move’ – EFF to join taxi association for national shutdown