Carl Niehaus, the leader of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance, said ANC members who failed to side with Busisiwe Mkhwebane have sided with the DA. Picture: Karin Sandison/African News Agency (ANA) Archives
African National Congress (ANC) MP Supra Mahumapelo and the leader of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (Areta), Carl Niehaus, had a go at each other after the former voted for the removal of Busisiwe Mkhwebane as public protector.
This was after Niehaus accused Mahumapelo of failing to stand with Mkhwebane in the vote, as he and others in the ANC had backed the public protector.
The national legislature voted that Mkhwebane should be removed from office.
The RET faction has been complaining that the motion to impeach Mkhwebane was initiated by the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the ANC supported it.
Before the sitting of the National Assembly, the ANC ordered party members to toe the party line when voting took place.
Niehaus said the decision by Mahumapelo to support the motion was wrong.
Mahumapelo said he was not a member of Areta and called on Niehaus to stay away from ANC political matters.
"I am not an Areta member and never will be one. I owe you no accountability on how I respond to my ANC complexities of the moment, Carl," said Mahumapelo.
But Niehaus said he never tried to recruit Mahumapelo to Areta.
"I have never tried to recruit you to Areta. Anyhow, as a member of MyANC you can’t be a member of Areta," said Niehaus.
Niehaus led a protest outside Parliament on Monday before the voting began on the motion to impeach Mkhwebane.
After the vote, he said ANC members had sold out by siding with the DA in this whole process.
He said the inquiry was shameful.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics