Zuma says Mbalula sent intimidating messages to his representative before his ANC disciplinary hearing

Jacob Zuma has launched a high court application challenging his expulsion from the ANC, saying that it was procedurally flawed.

Expelled African National Congress (ANC) member, Jacob Zuma, said that the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, sent intimidating text messages to his representative a day before his disciplinary hearing.

Zuma has launched a high court application challenging his expulsion from the ANC, saying that it was procedurally flawed.

Zuma was expelled by the ANC last November, after it found him guilty of bringing the party into disrepute by associating with a rival political organisation, the MK Party.

The ANC’s constitution said that members undergoing a disciplinary hearing could only be represented by another ANC member.

In his court papers, Zuma said that he wanted to bring in external legal counsel, however, he ended up having to choose ANC stalwart, Tony Yengeni, as his representative.

A day before the disciplinary hearing, Zuma said that Yengeni received intimidating late-night text messages from Mbalula.

A copy of the messages shows that Mbalula asked Yengeni who does he think he is to destroy the ANC.

Zuma said that the messages were presented to the ANC’s national disciplinary committee (NDC), however, they were not considered relevant, despite Mbalula being the only witness to testify in the matter.

Zuma said that the NDC and the appeal committee were clearly pursuing a predetermined outcome.