Cape Town - Former senior African National Congress (ANC) MP, Vytjie Mentor, has called on South Africans to “wake up and defend the constitution”.
Mentor was addressing the Cape Town Press Club on the issue of State capture on Thursday and said that as long as there was free access for families like the Guptas in key points of the country, there would no longer be a country.
“South Africans wake up and defend the constitution,” said Mentor, who in March this year made headlines after she went public to say that the controversial Gupta family had offered her the job of Minister of Public Enterprises. Mentor also claimed that President Jacob Zuma, long seen to be close to the Guptas, was in the next room while she received the offer.
Read: No corruption charge against Guptas, ministers
Speaking to the South Africa First Forum (SAFF) movement of which she is a member, Mentor said they were not defending Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his public battle with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in terms of the “Hands off Pravin” rallying cry, but were simply agreeing with him when he spoke about the unjust political system and the issue of state capture.
“We agree with Pravin that it is the Treasury’s duty to take care of the country,” said Mentor.
Mentor also hit out at the ANC Youth League, the party’s Women’s League, as well as the Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) Veterans Association (MKVA), saying they had been elected purely on the basis of patronage.
“They will always serve the agenda of their master. There is enough collective capability in any nation to topple patronage.”
Mentor also went on to say that if previous generations could topple apartheid, it was within the reach of the current generation to topple corruption.
“It is not the ANC and its leadership that will put the country right, it is the people that will put this country right, irrespective of who they vote for,” she said.
Mentor said she was wary of advocating bypassing Parliament, labelling it chaotic, but said: “The Minister of Energy defiantly refused to answer questions and she was protected by the person chairing the proceedings, there is an escalation of arrogance!”
Mentor concluded by saying: “I get my humility from the ANC and that is why I’m acting against them. President Jacob Zuma is not his own man.”
African News Agency