Shocking: Ramaphosa Sends warning Message ANC members who don’t

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has warned of consequences for those with dual ANC-SACP membership if they do not campaign for the ANC in the lead-up to the local government elections.

Tensions between the SACP and ANC have escalated over the SACP’s decision to contest elections independently of the tripartite alliance.

While the ANC is still hopeful it can convince the SACP to reverse its decision, Ramaphosa has given the clearest indication yet that the relationship is as good as over.

On Sunday, he told the more than 1,300 delegates at the ANC Limpopo conference that those with dual membership of the ANC and SACP will have to pick a side during the campaign.

And if they choose to campaign for the SACP, they will be hauled over the coals.

“When you have aligned yourself with another organisation, and you don’t campaign for the ANC, and we see you campaigning for another party, now you are going to get yourself into big trouble with us, and first of all with me because I expect you to campaign for the ANC,” said Ramaphosa.

“So those who are in other parties are in trouble because there will be consequences; they will find themselves in hot water.”

He said the ANC national general council made it clear that heading into these elections, every ANC member must be seen on the ground campaigning, emphasising that this directive said nothing about the SACP.

“I know that we are going to have to address fully and completely to clarify this issue of the SACP because members of the SACP are also members of the ANC,” he said.

“Now, we say every ANC member, underline, every ANC member must campaign for the ANC.”

He said the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences was yet to make a final determination on those with dual membership but that as far as his directive was concerned he was talking to ANC members.

“The NEC is going to finalise its clearer position on what happens to those who are members of another organisation but also members of the ANC who do not campaign for the ANC. That is now going to be the standard,” he said.

“When I closed the NGC (national general council), I said every member of the ANC must campaign for the ANC. Now that was said by the president of the ANC and what the president of the ANC says becomes policy. So that is the policy.”

Though Ramaphosa did not state it directly, it is believed he was sending a message to those with dual membership who have been deployed in government positions under the banner of the ANC.

There are hundreds of SACP members serving in positions of power in the national, provincial and local governments on the ANC ticket.

These leaders, such as minister of higher education Buti Manamela, will soon have to decide which membership to relinquish.

Newly elected ANC Limpopo chair and premier Phophi Ramathuba has made it clear she would pick ANC membership over that of the SACP should it come to that.

The NEC at its next meeting is expected to make a final determination on the double membership issue especially now that delegates at the Limpopo provincial conference complained that the SACP was contesting against the ANC in by-elections.