Cape Town - Another accusation that an ANC member has left it to join former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has raised the suspicion of a member who said it was a malicious act.

This while MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said honesty was lacking and members who previously said they wished to work with the MK Party should not do so from underground.

ANC member Sipho Silas Rataza said on Thursday that he was shocked to find a poster doing the rounds on social media, announcing his so-called appointment as co-ordinator of the MK Party.

Rataza said that he was not contacted before or after the poster was circulated.

This comes after the ANC in Limpopo denied rumours on Tuesday that its provincial chairperson, Stanley Mathabatha, had also joined Zuma’s party following the circulation of a poster online.

In eThekwini the ANC undertook a process of identifying members who had defected to the party.

Rataza said that the move to publish his name, along with his WhatsApp number on the poster, was malicious and he would be taking it up with provincial ANC leadership for a solution.

He said the “trend” of incorrect information being shared on social media came as there were known RET forces within the ANC and there was an attempt to expose these members.

“Personally, I view this as malicious. At that level of appointment you must have the correct names and contact details in the system. My assumption is that this was done maliciously to prove a point.

“Upon seeing that appointment letter on Thursday, I took the ANC officials, my family and friends into confidence on the subject matter and distanced myself from this bogus appointment,” said Rataza.

Ndhlela said they were unable to publish names and contact details of appointed members without their permission.

He said the names of those on the list were of members who expressed commitment to working with the MK Party.

“Honesty is important.

“You can’t say you want to work, then when the kitchen gets hot you want to make a U-turn,” said Ndhlela.

However, Rataza last night denied that he expressed an interest in working with the MK Party.

Meanwhile, the ANC in the Western Cape said that it engaged with Rataza and viewed the appointment as false news.

“We unequivocally condemn this deception and reject the attempt to associate Comrade Silas with the MK Party.

“This correspondence was an effort to cast doubt on the integrity and commitment of Comrade Silas to the unity and renewal of the ANC.”

francesca.villette@inl.co.za

Cape Argus