Johannesburg - Struggle veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s political allegiance still remains with the ANC despite her close relationship with EFF leader Julius Malema.
For the past three years, the Struggle icon has remained mum on Malema’s decision to form a political party rivalling the ANC, which expelled him in 2013 while he was still the ANC Youth League’s firebrand leader.
Her silence on the matter fuelled widespread speculations that Madikizela-Mandela was still bitter about the ANC’s decision to expel Malema.
While she made no reference to Malema or her continued association with him on Tuesday, Madikizela-Mandela assured ANC Gauteng leader Paul Mashatile and the party’s Joburg mayoral candidate and regional ANC chairman, Parks Tau, that her heart was with the ANC.
She promised her continued support for the party, particularly in its bid to retain control of the City of Joburg. Her endorsement of the ANC Gauteng’s election bid was a major boost for the party.
The Star understands that the ANC is struggling to bring former president Thabo Mbeki on board.
Tau and Mbeki were engaged in a closed meeting at the former president’s home on Monday night.
The Gauteng ANC supported Mbeki in his bid for a third term as ANC leader during the party’s controversial elective conference in Limpopo in 2007. It was also vocal against the national ANC decision to recall Mbeki as president of the country in 2008.
Insiders said Tau’s meeting with Mbeki was aimed at urging him to share public appearances with the likes of other veterans, such as Rivonia Trial accused Ahmed Kathrada and former Robben Islander Kgalema Motlanthe, and to campaign for the ANC.
But Tau said his meeting had nothing to do with the elections. “We were just briefing the former president about the work we are doing as the City of Joburg. We were also briefing him about the role we play in the United Cities Local Governments.
“We are engaged in two campaigns, and one of them is to lead local governments in the world,” Tau said.
The party will not have similar issues from Madikizela-Mandela.
On Tuesday, she brought smiles to the faces of Tau and Mashatile after looking at an ANC flag hoisted in her yard and shouted “Viva ANC”.
She appealed to women veterans to vote for the ANC and had strong words for the killing of ANC councillors over the party’s candidate lists.
“What type of cowards kill women?” she asked.
Twelve ANC councillors, many of them women, have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal in the run-up to the elections.
Madikizela-Mandela said such killing were foreign to the party. “The ANC is going to win these elections despite the challenges we are faced with. We will win with a majority,” she predicted.
The Star