Vusi Tshabalala’s disciplinary hearing on 23 November was postponed to 6 December after Tshabalala accused the chairperson of the committee of turning the hearing into a trial within a trial. OFM News understands that Tshabalala wants the chairperson of the disciplinary committee to recuse himself due to a conflict of interest. It’s alleged that these two previously had a heated exchange of words.

The Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, confirms that Tshabalala’s hearing was postponed and will continue in December 2021. OFM News previously reported that Tshabalala was suspended by the ANC for allegedly supporting independent candidates prior to the 2021 local government elections.  

Speaking to OFM News previously, Tshabalala said his suspension has always been on the cards because he supported the suspended ANC Secretary-General (SG) Ace Magashule. He said the ANC’s IPC is led by Mxolisi Dukwana, who is a known Magashule adversary and part of the CR17 faction in the ANC. Tshabalala said it seems that the notion of unity, carried by ANC members during and after the 54th ANC national general elections (NGC), was just a message with an agenda.

“The IPC, which substituted the ANC’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in terms of a court decision, is now led by the people that we know are very close to or are part of CR17. It has always been a battle of politics between ourselves and them and that is why I call it a witch-hunt because for now I have not been proved guilty by anybody. It’s probably because I haven’t had a disciplinary hearing. But those are the allegations going, that’s why I will always refer to them as allegations,” he added.

OFM News