Durban – ANC MP Mervyn Dirks, who defied party orders when he pushed for action against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm scandal, says he does not have any regrets over his resignation as an MP because he did so “voluntarily”.
Dirks confirmed yesterday that he had resigned after consulting with the ANC KwaZulu-Natal leadership, stressing that no one had forced him out of Parliament.
“I had an engagement with the provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, and expressed my intention to resign, and there were no problems from the provincial office on the matter,” he said.
The future of the Pietermaritzburg-born MP became a source of speculation after Ramaphosa secured victory as party president at the ANC’s elective conference at Nasrec in Gauteng in December.
Dirks and other party members including Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma have been strongly criticised within ANC circles for defying the party leadership by voting with opposition parties for the adoption of the section 89 report into the Phala Phala scandal. If the report had been adopted, it would have cleared the way for an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa.
Dirks said he had been guided by principle in voting for the report’s adoption but had no grudge against the president. “The fact of the matter is that I am campaigning and will continue doing so for the ANC because of my belief in the organisation’s ability to improve people’s lives. There are no personal issues between myself and the president. He has my respect and support as the leader of the ANC,” Dirks said.
Officially unemployed as of this week, the former MP said there was still plenty to do, and he was keen to assume any responsibilities that may be presented to him by the party leadership.
As a former community activist, Dirks said he would not retire from assisting people and still regarded himself as a public servant. “If the party leadership wants to deploy me anywhere, I will accept the task.”
The former Msunduzi Municipality deputy mayor also conceded that the KZN capital needed urgent attention.
Dirks said the problems were not insurmountable, saying there was an urgent need to clean the city, improve its billing system and fix immediate problems such as leaking taps, dysfunctional traffic lights and water leaks.
“It does not take rocket science to improve local government. It can be done and, if given a chance to help improve the situation, this is a task that I would not shy away from.”
He said he had no regrets about the time he had spent at the National Assembly in Cape Town and believed that he had performed his duties to the best of his ability.
