ANC's Gigaba, Mchunu in hot water for 'casting aspersions on the character and unity' of party

CAPE TOWN - African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee members, Malusi Gigaba and Senzo Mchunu, are in hot water for recent utterances the party perceives to be decampaigning against it.

The party said it disapproves of the pair’s recent conduct and public statements, which violate the ANC's internal communications protocol.

Last week, Gigaba said he thought the start of the National Dialogue should be delayed, while over the weekend, Mchunu suggested the ANC could face its end if support continues to decline at the polls.

As tensions swirled between legacy foundations and the Presidency last week over the haste to convene the National Convention, ANC MP Gigaba said he thought the dialogue should be delayed to avoid it becoming another talk shop.

Meanwhile, speaking at a tombstone unveiling in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend, suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu suggested the ANC was on the brink of collapse and that the next elections could spell its death knell. 

The ANC has taken a dim view of these comments, saying the pair acted outside of any sanctioned organisational mandate in making these remarks.

Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said their remarks also do not reflect the views of any legitimate structure of the party and are seen as an opportunistic assault on its image and credibility.

"These comrades are casting aspersions on the character and unity of the ANC, portraying the organisation as divided, incoherent and collapsing. These actions serve only the strategic agenda of counter-revolution and weakens the people’s confidence in their movement. No disciplined comrade would, out of their own volition, make statements that embolden forces that have long sought to reverse the gains of our revolution," reads an ANC statement.

The party said it would take steps to stop members from making statements that undermined its established protocols and internal cohesion.