“The office of the ANC chief whip is disappointed with the downright dishonest fabrications and shoddy journalism of Babalwa Ndenze, Sunday Times reporter, relating to the story published in the paper today [Sunday] on his interview with chief whip, Jackson Mthembu,” it said in a statement.

“Ndenze’s story headlined ‘ANC wants new rule to protect president’ makes a wild and baseless claim that the ANC chief whip ‘wants to change parliament’s rules to create new measures to defend President Jacob Zuma against abusive MPs – before his next visit to the National Assembly’. This is blatantly untrue.

“At no point during the long interview Ndenze had with the chief whip was such a remark made. The whole interview was put on tape, and Ndenze cannot produce any record proving that the chief whip indeed said those words. Ndenze’s story is wholly based on sensationalised inventions, which he will have an impossible task to prove when the matter is reported to the press ombudsman this week,” the statement said.

In response to Ndenze’s question seeking the ANC caucus’ view on the disruptions that broke out during Zuma’s appearance in Parliament to reply to questions, Mthembu had emphasised the need for all parties to commit to the supremacy of the House rules and the importance of enforcing the existing rules to deal with disruptive elements.

Recently, the National Assembly adopted a new, overhauled set of rules. The new rules, among other things, dealt with disruptive conduct and provided comprehensive guidelines on appropriate steps to be taken against unruly MPs. It was, therefore, inconceivable that Mthembu would have called for a new rule to deal with what was already thoroughly provided for in the existing newly adopted rules.

“The office of the ANC chief whip will this week lodge a formal complaint with the press ombudsman to ensure that the Sunday Times publish a retraction and an apology regarding the unfair and damaging fabrications contained in Ndenze’s story,” the statement said.

ANA