Mbalula as ANC secretary-general an 'embarrassment', says Msimang as he demands apology

Former ANC member and stalwart Mavuso Msimang has criticised secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, calling him an embarrassment.

Msimang said it was insulting that the ANC has elected someone such as Mbalula as its secretary-general, saying he was a far cry from ANC luminaries who once occupied that powerful position.

Mavuso, who ditched his ANC membership last week, was reacting to accusations made by Mbalula at a rally on Sunday. 

Mbalula accused the veteran of having resigned through the media and taking a bribe to join one of the newly formed political parties. 

“It's a pity that the ANC has a person such as Mbalula as its secretary-general. It's an embarrassment. For an organisation that once boasted the likes of Sol Plaatjie, Oliver Tambo, Duma Nokwe and a few others — to end up with a Mbalula is actually a commentary on the state of the organisation,” said Msimang in a video posted on social media. 

“How did we elect a person like this into that position?”

Msimang demanded Mbalula retract his utterances and apologise.

“I plead with Mbalula — in fact I demand that he retracts these accusations against me as they are libellous. He should do so soon, it is a friendly request, but it has to happen.”

At a rally in Merafong at the weekend, Mbalula claimed more than R1bn has been raised as part of efforts to defeat the ANC, alleging opponents of the party are on a mission to bribe ANC veterans such as Mavuso Msimang, who recently left the party.

“They are forming a lot of political parties to defeat the ANC. They put in a lot of money to support this project. Roger Jardine is a project and that project will be defeated,” he said.

Former FirstRand Group chairperson Roger Jardine launched his political party, Change Starts Now, on Sunday.

Msimang dismissed those claims.

“I've not joined any party. Second, it is insulting to say I accepted a bribe. Another deliberate lie of Mbalula's is that I announced my resignation from the ANC though the media.

“He knows very well that about 3.50pm on December 6 I sent an email to him and his PA exclusively at Luthuli House. Within two hours or so, this resignation letter was doing the rounds in ANC whatsapp chat groups — with comrades asking me to verify if this was true or not. I was shocked.

“Later I understood it circulated even beyond ANC chat rooms. It’s only when I was called by the media that I responded to confirm the veracity of the letter. I was inundated by many queries and selected a few media houses to respond to — I had to control the narrative of my resignation.”

Msimang was the deputy president of the ANC Veterans’ League. He is known for his outspokenness and has been a vocal critic of the party.

His exit sparked speculation about his next move — and whether he would join another party.

In his resignation letter, Msimang described ANC rule as a calamity he could no longer invest his energies in.

Top ANC leaders are said to be in discussions with Msimang in an attempt to persuade him to reverse his decision to quit a party he has been a member of for more than six decades.

TimesLIVE