Long-serving African National Congress member Carl Niehaus has been expelled from the ruling party for misconduct, APA learnt on Monday.
According to the party’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), Niehaus was found guilty on six counts of misconduct for contravening the ANC’s constitution.
He was charged for utterances he made in July 2021 outside the home of former president Jacob Zuma where he organised a rally and made statements to the media.
NDC chairperson Ralph Mgijima said some of the statements Niehaus allegedly made were “devoid of any truth, patently false”, and that the politician deliberately put such false information into the public domain to cause confusion and disunity in the ANC.
“The NDC is of the view that the charges for which the charged member has been found guilty are very serious. As such, the charged member’s plea that he be sanctioned with a reprimand, if found guilty, is wholly inappropriate,” he added.
Niehaus showed no remorse and persisted with his view that the ANC was acting in violation of its constitution and his rights by disciplining him, Mgijima said.
He added that despite Niehaus’s long history within the ANC and having served time in prison for his political beliefs, he, like all other members of the ANC, was bound by the party’s code of conduct.
Mathews Phosa, who represented Niehaus during the hearings, recommended a five-year suspension, which was rejected.
“The failure of the charged member to show any remorse for his misconduct convinced the NDC that he was not capable of being rehabilitated. Therefore, the charged member is expelled from the ANC,” Mgijima said.
NM/jn/APA