Former African National Congress chair Mosiuoa Lekota, the man said to be on the verge of forming a splinter ANC on Monday met the news of the suspension of his party membership with disbelief.
Today, he is quoted as saying, “I do not believe it, I want to wait until I get a letter from the ANC […] If there is such a thing, I do not believe it. You know why? Because the constitution of the ANC says that no member can be punished before you hold a hearing.”
ANC announced Monday that it had summarily suspended Lekota’s membership. “The ANC National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Bloemfontein today [13 October 2008], has decided to summarily suspend the ANC membership of Mosiuoa Lekota with immediate effect,” read a statement.
The committee said this was in line with Rule 25.12 of the ANC constitution.
Lekota last week announced his intention to hold a convention to discuss the possibility of forming a new political party. Reports say Lekota held a rally in Langa, Cape Town, to drum up support for the idea of a national convention.
In the Free State, a group of disgruntled ANC members announced on Monday that a provincial convention would be held to test support for a national convention.
Said Lekota, “We must go forward to the formation of a structure that can lead us, and not leave it to the ANC’s National Executive Committee and the likes of [ANC Youth League president] Julius Malema,”
