ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has called party leaders who leak confidential information to the media snakes.
"Leaders who go on public platforms to criticise the ANC are like a snake that bites itself to try and heal itself," Mantashe said.
Addressing journalists at Luthuli House yesterday, Mantashe said the NEC meeting which was held at the weekend also raised serious concerns about media leakages.
'This tendency was strongly criticised as it reduced national leaders of the ANC to being sources of journalists. Concern was also raised on the conduct of some members and leaders of the ANC who use public platforms to attack the organisation.
"If, as a leader, you leak confidential information you are like an agent that has infiltrated the party," he said.
Mantashe did not mention names of ANC leaders who had criticised the party publicly, but there is speculation that he could have been referring to Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Sexwale and Madikizela-Mandela were both witnesses in the disciplinary case of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and have on several occasions spoken against the party's decision to charge Malema and the league. Mantashe said the NEC meeting did not discuss the ANCYL nor its president Malema.
He said the ANC would only raise issues affecting the ANCYL during a bilateral meeting with the league.
Mantashe said the ANC in Parliament would decide on the action that would be taken against party members who abstained or voted against the information bill last week. ANC MPs Gloria Bosman and Ben Turok did not vote for the bill.
'The conduct of members acting as free agents is not an option. Public representatives of the ANC hold public office at the instance of the ANC," he said.
He said members of the ANC were bound by policy directives of the party and not their individual thoughts.
'The bill is not a media bill, it is a security bill. It is about peddlers of information and not about whistle blowers.
"There are processes the ANC will follow in Parliament. I cannot pre-empt," Mantashe said.
He said research on nationalisation of mines had been completed but the party had referred the report back for simplification before it could be distributed to ANC structures for debate.
He said ANC sub-committees were assessed and found to be functional.
- Sowetan
"Leaders who go on public platforms to criticise the ANC are like a snake that bites itself to try and heal itself," Mantashe said.
Addressing journalists at Luthuli House yesterday, Mantashe said the NEC meeting which was held at the weekend also raised serious concerns about media leakages.
'This tendency was strongly criticised as it reduced national leaders of the ANC to being sources of journalists. Concern was also raised on the conduct of some members and leaders of the ANC who use public platforms to attack the organisation.
"If, as a leader, you leak confidential information you are like an agent that has infiltrated the party," he said.
Mantashe did not mention names of ANC leaders who had criticised the party publicly, but there is speculation that he could have been referring to Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Sexwale and Madikizela-Mandela were both witnesses in the disciplinary case of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and have on several occasions spoken against the party's decision to charge Malema and the league. Mantashe said the NEC meeting did not discuss the ANCYL nor its president Malema.
He said the ANC would only raise issues affecting the ANCYL during a bilateral meeting with the league.
Mantashe said the ANC in Parliament would decide on the action that would be taken against party members who abstained or voted against the information bill last week. ANC MPs Gloria Bosman and Ben Turok did not vote for the bill.
'The conduct of members acting as free agents is not an option. Public representatives of the ANC hold public office at the instance of the ANC," he said.
He said members of the ANC were bound by policy directives of the party and not their individual thoughts.
'The bill is not a media bill, it is a security bill. It is about peddlers of information and not about whistle blowers.
"There are processes the ANC will follow in Parliament. I cannot pre-empt," Mantashe said.
He said research on nationalisation of mines had been completed but the party had referred the report back for simplification before it could be distributed to ANC structures for debate.
He said ANC sub-committees were assessed and found to be functional.
- Sowetan
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