Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Geordin Hill-Lewis has said he wants to attend meetings of the governing African National Congress's (ANC's) top structure too because the party had allowed outsiders to do so in the recent past.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hill-Lewis said he had written to the party's acting secretary-general Jessie Duarte "to ask for the ANC's protocol on private citizens attending the party's [national executive committee] meetings".

He said if senior state officials like National Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane could attend these meetings in their "private capacity", as Finance Minister Tito Mboweni told him was the case, others, like himself, could "presumably" attend too.

Hill-Lewis said he would like to make "some remarks on the topic of 'economic policy'".

He added that in reply to his parliamentary question, Mboweni said that Mogajane had attended the ANC NEC meeting on 23 and 24 January in his "private capacity".

Hill-Lewis said Mboweni used that term "because, I believe, he knows that it is not appropriate for senior civil servants, who are subject to the Public Service Act, to attend the NEC meeting of the ANC".

Public interest

He said he didn't believe Mogajane could be passed off as a "private citizen" because he would not have been invited if it were not for his position in government.

Hill-Lewis said he would use the Promotion of Access to Information Act to obtain a record of what Mogajane said at the meeting, because, as a public official, his contribution was a matter of public interest.

"I look forward to hearing back from the ANC about this," he said.

He added: "Since I too would be attending in my 'private capacity', I presume they will have no objection to me attending the next meeting."

The meeting Hill-Lewis referred to formed part of the party's annual lekgotla, where policy directions are discussed.

Part of the discussion during this meeting revolved around economic growth and policies.