Mantashe hits back at ‘mischievous’ DD Mabuza

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Mantashe hits back at 'mischievous' DD Mabuza
NOT A TOY TELEPHONE: ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe. PICTURE BY Daily Maverick

ANC Mpumalanga chairman David Mabuza is the one who first openly criticised Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe for being ‘ill disciplined’ but now Mantashe has hit back, saying Mabuza was ‘mischievous’ and didn’t understand ANC policies.


ANC national secretary Gwede Mantashe has hit back at ANC Mpumalanga chairman David Mabuza, saying himself would not allow the ANC “to be shaped in the image of DD Mabuza”.

Mantashe was speaking during an interview with News24 on Monday following comments made by the Mpumalanga premier that both the secretary general and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa were ‘ill-disciplined’ for questioning why President Jacob Zuma reshuffled his cabinet without consulting the top 6.

Mabuza told journalists in Acornhoek after welcoming members of the Bushbuckridge Resident Association on Sunday mid-day that both Mantashe and Ramaphosa forget “they were not Presidents” and that only the President had the prerogative to reshuffle cabinet.

Mantashe said ANC policies allowed the President to do that but after consulting the ANC.

“What I don’t agree with is that people must call us names, because we have taken a stance, and make us toy telephones,” Mantashe told News24.

“[If] we don’t need to be consulted, therefore there is no need to elect the six officials,” Mantashe said.

He said that if that was the case, then only one individual would run the ANC.

Mantashe, Ramaphosa and national treasurer Zweli Mkhize have criticised Zuma’s sacking of former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas on Thursday night (30 Mar).

SEE ALSO: Statement – Zuma reshuffles cabinet

Mantashe said the list of the new ministers and deputies was created ‘somewhere else’, an indirect reference that it had a Gupta hand, while Ramaphosa said the intelligence on which Zuma based his calling off of Gordhan and Jonas from an overseas investment roadshow before sacking them was “not substantiated” by anything.
(edited by MLM)

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