Top ANC politicians named in a secret report as plotting to unseat President Jacob Zuma as party boss said on Sunday it was “scurrilous lies” and the work of information peddlers.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile denied the report, which is alleged to have emanated from a covert investigation into national police commissioner Bheki Cele.
The Sunday Independent reported that according to the 22-page document, Cele had switched his allegiance to his long-time ally, Zuma, in favour of Sexwale - allegedly at the head of a string of senior ANC leaders plotting to oust Zuma as the party’s president at its elective conference in Mangaung next year.
The newspaper said others named in the report included ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, ANC national executive committee members Fikile Mbalula, Jeff Radebe, Cassel Mathale, David Mabuza, Thandi Modise, Enoch Godongwana, Bathabile Dlamini, Tony Yengeni and others.
Sexwale and Phosa have been there before, in fact exactly 10 years ago this month.
In April, 2001 they were publicly accused of plotting against then president Thabo Mbeki by his safety and security minister, Steve Tshwete. Along with Cyril Ramaphosa, they were investigated by state security agencies, but ultimately cleared, and Tshwete was forced to apologise.
Days before Tshwete’s sensational allegations, Zuma, who was then ANC deputy president, issued a surprise statement pledging support for Mbeki and denying that he planned to oust him as party president at the ANC’s elective conference in Stellenbosch a year later.
The saga was widely viewed as the start of the broedertwis between Zuma and Mbeki, which eventually saw Mbeki lose power to Zuma at the party’s 2007 Polokwane conference.
Mkhize on Sunday rejected the plot as “blue and scurrilous” lies, saying it was the work of desperate “information peddlers” trying to improve their currency.
Mkhize, who was speaking to ANC supporters at a rally at Adams Mission, outside Amanzimtoti, had entered the podium shouting, “Busa, Zuma, Busa, Busa, Msholozi (govern or rule, Zuma).”
He deviated from his speech to deal with the issue of a “big story” about an alleged plot to oust Zuma, rejecting the allegations, saying he knew nothing about it, was not involved in it and there was no such plot.
“They count all of us, Tokyo, Zweli and chairpersons of (the) ANC in other provinces. People who wrote this are associated with intelligence. These people have dreams. This is lies,” he said.
He said a meeting in Estcourt referred to in the document was an open public meeting dealing with the January 8 statement of the ANC.
“There is no such thing. We worked so much for Zuma to govern. Even if there are those who want to remove Zuma, there is no way. They can dream about it. But Zuma is in power because of the prayers and the sweat of the masses,” Mkhize said.
He said the report was worrying because it seemed to be the work of people linked to state intelligence agencies.
He also defended Sexwale, saying he was an ANC national executive committee deployee in KwaZulu-Natal and that was why he was always in the province.
Sexwale, addressing an election rally in Bekkersdal, Westonaria, west of Joburg, also denied the allegations. He stressed that the ANC was united and a “very happy family” and said the ruling party was more concerned about winning elections and providing services.
“Our people need houses and not confusing information about the ANC,” he said.
Mashatile, speaking at the same rally, said the ANC leadership was “going into the local government elections united”.
“Desperate people are trying to divide us, but everyone in the leadership, including Tokyo, are fully behind President Zuma,” said Mashatile.
Cele on Saturday applied for an urgent interdict to prevent the Sunday Independent from publishing “any defamatory statement” contained in the report, titled “Ground Coverage Intelligence Report - Alleged Corruption and Related Activities - KwaZulu-Natal”.
Lawyers acting for Cele abandoned the attempt after seeing a copy of the article the newspaper intended publishing, which carried Cele’s response.
In his affidavit for the application, Cele said he learnt of the document on Thursday.
“The document does not relate to any known crime intelligence project within the South African Police Service, nor can it be traced to any known official file or investigation within the South African Police Service,” he stated.
“The document in question is highly defamatory of me, has no factual foundation and is self-evident gossip.
“I do not know the source of the document, nor does the document purport to have a source,” Cele said.
Mkhize said discussions about leadership positions before the 2012 conference had not started.
However, there have been several reports suggesting that lobbying and wrestling for key positions coming up for grabs in Mangaung is already under way.
The run-up to the ANC’s 2007 elective conference in Polokwane was characterised by intense lobbying and led to the rupture that saw the launch of the breakaway party, Cope, in December, 2008. - The Mercury