Hanekom faces Axes!

In few days after Makhosi Khoza was dismissed, another ANC MP might lose his job.

Yesterday, the ANC took aim at the chairman of its disciplinary committee, Derek Hanekom.

The MP received a letter from secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, ordering him to show cause within 10 days why he should not be axed from the position of committee chairman.

In tweets, Hanekom has said: “Dispel this notion of voting with the opposition.

“We just vote against state capture, massive looting and corruption. Vote for change.”

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said the letter was a power balance gauge within the ANC.

“This is a true factional game. It’s all about monitoring the strength of those ANC MPs who use Parliament to speak against Jacob Zuma,” said Mathekga.

“The fate of Hanekom depends on his mobilising on a push back strategy. He needs to mobilise the masses to save his position.”

The Mantashe letter specifically refers to tweets that Hanekom sent on the eve of the motion of no confidence against Zuma in Parliament on 8 August.

“The independence and integrity of the office of the National Disciplinary Committee has been placed in jeopardy and could legitimately be questioned by comrades who appear before this body in future,” reads the letter.

Hanekom did not want to comment on the letter.

He said: “I have no comment. You might wish to ask the office of the secretary- general for comment, but as far as I’m concerned this is an internal ANC matter and I will not comment.”