Jackson Mthembu. Picture: SOWETAN
Jackson Mthembu. Picture: SOWETAN

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JACKSON Mthembu has been appointed as the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) new chief whip in Parliament.

The former ANC spokesman replaces Stone Sizani‚ who resigned his seat in Parliament to take up an ambassadorial post in Germany.

MP Doris Dlakude has been the party’s acting chief whip since Mr Sizani’s departure.

Mr Sizani drew the ire of opposition parties for what was seen as stonewalling work on the investigations into irregular expenditure on President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla household.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said Mr Mthembu’s appointment was “not expected” considering his “chequered past”.

The Congress of the People (COPE) said it was “not impressed”.

The DA’s whip in the National Assembly‚ John Steenhuisen‚ said it was a “very interesting appointment as.… Mr Mthembu has had a rather chequered past in public life… but obviously we look forward to a robust exchange”.

Mr Steenhuisen said the DA would hold Mr Mthembu to a tweet he made last week about the Guptas and said he hoped Mr Mthembu would support the party’s call on for an ad hoc committee to investigate the influence of the well-connected family.

“I believe Cde Jonas‚ @MyANC– must deal with this arrogance of the #Guptas once and for all!!Who the hell do they think they are‚” Mr Mthembu tweeted after Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas confirmed reports that he had been offered the top ministerial post.

Mr Steenhuisen added: “You need somebody that is able to instil a great deal discipline. The African National Congress is really struggling to get their people to Parliament and to do the business that is required of a parliamentary majority and I am not sure he has the clout to do that.”

COPE spokesman Dennis Bloem harboured similar doubts‚ and told TMG Digital: “COPE sees it as another deployment as a favour to a cadre that is a praise-singer to the President. They want to consolidate their position.”

Fifty-eight year old Mr Mthembu is a veteran anti-apartheid activist having served in the United Democratic Front in the 1980s. He was charged with treason during this time and acquitted.

Before becoming ANC national spokesman he served in the Mpumalanga legislature and the provincial government. He was elected to the National Assembly in 2014 and prior to his appointment as chief whip he chaired the environment affairs committee where he became an outspoken supporter of the campaign against global warming.

Mr Mthembu is no stranger to controversy.

In 2010‚ he made headlines for appearing to do his job apparently while in police custody after being arrested for drunken driving.

He gave an interview to the now-defunct South African Press Association on a criminal charge and South African Human Rights Commission complaint against then-ANC Youth League president Julius Malema for singing "Shoot the boers".

It was reported at the time that Mr Mthembu burst into song himself.

In October 2014‚ Mr Mthembu was injured in a shooting incident at an ATM in Witbank. Mr Mthembu was taken to the intensive care unit of the Emalahleni Private Hospital and made a full recovery.

TMG Digital, with Wyndham Hartley