Paul Mashatile Says MP Mervyn Dirks Was Supposed to Lay Complaint Against Ramaphosa to ANC Chief Whip

• Paul Mashatile, the ANC Treasurer-General, has called out ANC MP Mervyn Dirks for not following proper channels in his grievances against President Cyril Ramaphosa
• Dirks wrote to Parliament watchdog organisation Scopa with a complaint of certain utterances Ramaphosa made in a leaked audio
• According to Mashatile, the now-suspended MP was supposed to first approach ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina, not Scopa

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress's Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile is not too thrilled with the party's Member of Parliament (MP) Mervyn Dirks for his conduct in relation to seeking answers from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Dirks approached the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to get Ramaphosa to answers questions in relation to leaked audio in which he stated that State funds had been misused to further certain ANC campaigns.

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Mashatile is not happy that Dirks approached Scopa before following the proper channels of approaching ANC structures that would have called Ramaphosa to account for the audio.

Because of his conduct, Dirks was suspended by the ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina, according to TimesLIVE. According to Mashatile, Dirks should have brought up his grievances with what the president said in the audio with the ANC Chief Whip and not Scopa.

Mashatile highlighted that there is nothing wrong with wanting leaders to account for what they say or do, however, Dirks had no right to go over the heads of ANC leadership by approaching the Parliament watchdog.

Mashatile went on to say that Dirks and others needed to remember that they are MPs because of the ANC and they are expected to behave in a certain manner.

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Magashule backs Mervyn Dirks

Unlike other members of the ANC, Dirks has received support from suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule. Magahsule stated that Dirks should not be suspended because he was doing the right thing as an MP, reports The Citizen.

Magashule went on to highlight that during former President Jacob Zuma's tenure, many MPs in different committees had brought forward grievances against Zuma and they were not suspended for doing their jobs.

Ace Magashule laments ANC factionalism, wants to take step-aside decision to ConCourt

Briefly News previously reported that Ace Magashule, the suspended secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC), believes that the party will disintegrate if its current factionalism challenges persist.

Magashule was addressing claims that the party was looking to appoint a non-member to its secretariat. He said that this would be ill-advised as it may further the factionalism that is already rife within the ANC.

Currently, the party's day-to-day operations are overseen by Paul Mashatile, the treasurer-general, who was required to step up in his role after Magashule's suspension from the party, The Sowetan reports.

Source: Briefly News