Former ANC vice-president Klema Motlanthe has defended the timing of the ruling party's disciplinary action against former president Jacob Zuma. Motlanthe is campaigning for the ANC in Soweto.
Zuma spent the last year leading a new political party, Umkhonto Wisizwe, and encouraged voters to vote for it in the May polls.
The ANC had previously indicated that there was no need to take action against the former leader as he had left the organization voluntarily. This is despite Mr Zuma insisting he remains part of the ruling party.
Motlanthe says the organization needed to ensure it was fair to former ANC leaders.
“Organizations must ensure that appropriate procedures are followed as there are two criteria for assessing fairness in any case of breach of discipline: first, there is a substantive case against the individual; The second question is whether you followed a fair procedure.Procedural fairness is therefore one of the tests of being fair and just to everyone you interact with. ”
Meanwhile, legal analyst Mpumelelo Zikalala said Zuma's disciplinary hearing was long overdue.
The former president is scheduled to appear at a disciplinary hearing next Tuesday.
This was made clear in a document by the ANC's National Disciplinary Commission (NDC).
Mr Zuma is said to have been charged with two offences.
He is accused of violating the ANC constitution when he publicly supported the newly formed Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK) and was on the party's candidate list.
“Just about the time they were going to remind the former president and say, either you quit being a member of the ANC, or if you don't, we're going to support you,” Zikalala said. “It was,” he says.When I bring you before disciplinary proceedings, you [know] Regardless of what the constitution says, you are in control of this party. ”
“You know exactly what the rules are. If you look at Rule 4 and Rule 5, they clearly state what the obligation is, which is the oath you took. If you break that oath by going to the United States, joining or publicly supporting another political party, you have breached the final regulations of the ANC Constitution,” Zikalala added.