Johannesburg -President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday admitted that members of Parliament should put the people that appointed them before the political party.
But he said he still supported the African National Congress (ANC)’s approach of disciplining members if they didn’t toe the party line because he had seen how divisions – including removing two presidents – nearly destroyed the party.
Ramaphosa has testified about parliamentary oversight and how it is weakened by partly loyalty.
Former ANC MP Makhosi Khoza was the first to defy party directives when former President Jacob Zuma was facing a motion of no confidence.
Ramaphosa said there was nothing wrong with that.
But he maintained his loyalty to the party that he said was nearly torn when Zuma and Thabo Mbeki were recalled.
“A very painful process, deeply painful, almost tore the governing party apart. But it was an important check and balance, which in many ways if it had cascaded down to Parliament, it would have divided the party down the middle and maybe that stopped that.”
Ramaphosa said even opposition parties use the herd mentality, and they have shown solidarity by all walking out when one MP is expelled from the National Assembly by the Speaker.
