Paul Mashatile lambastes suspended MP Mervyn Dirks, saying he's only in parliament because of the ANC

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile squared up against suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule over the conduct of the party's MP Mervyn Dirks.

This comes after Magashule on Wednesday hailed Dirks for calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to account in parliament for comments he made in a leaked audio clip, where the president was heard seemingly protecting the misuse of public funds for internal party campaigns in 2017.

Dirks was suspended by chief whip Pemmy Majodina for sending a letter to parliament watchdog Scopa, asking it to look into Ramaphosa's comments.

Magashule hailed Dirks, saying his move showed he was principled and that he should not be suspended for doing the “right thing”.

But unlike Magashule, Mashatile has lambasted Dirks, saying his conduct was not in line with ANC principles. He said Dirks was supposed to lay his complaint with the ANC caucus in parliament instead of approaching Scopa.

“There are things that you don't do and that's the issue,” Mashatile said.

“Yes, we must all account but we have leaders we have appointed in caucus, we have leaders we have appointed in parliament ... Certain things must go through them to be dealt with.

“There was nothing stopping Mervyn Dirks from going to the chief whip to say, 'No, I think that we need to get the president to account on these matters.' He had no right at all to be bypassing the leadership of the ANC,” he said.

Mashatile was speaking in Dube, Soweto, outside the home of Tokyo Sexwale where he went to pay respect after the death of Sexwale's mother.

Mashatile went as far as reminding Dirks that he was in parliament on an ANC ticket. He said there were people in government who forgot that they are in their positions because of the ANC.

“Sometimes people forget that they were actually deployed there by the ANC. They didn't just walk in there, they came there on the list of the ANC. So we expect a particular behaviour from people on our list.

“Unless you gone there on your own you can behave the way you like, but if you are deployed by the organisation you must remain within the discipline of the organisation,” Mashatile said.

Mashatile defended Ramaphosa, saying the president would account if called to.

“The president of the ANC will never refuse to account if he has to,” Mashatile said

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