Speedy Mashilo supports fight against foreigners

He says if South Africans don’t stand up they will wake up with no country of their own.

ANC deputy chairman Speedy Mashilo is calling on ANC members to use the party’s national conference in December 2022 to draft and push forward policies that will “solve” the issue of foreigners in South Africa.

He says very soon if South Africans don’t stand up they will wake up with no country of their own.

Mashilo read out a Bible verse and warned that if the ANC doesn’t solve the issue it will get out of hand.

The Bible verse is Deuteronomy 28, which reads: “Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power while you gradually lose yours. They will have money to lend you but you will have none to lend them and in the end they will be your rulers”.

“This issue must be on the agenda in the next conference,” Mashilo said, adding that the issue is so severe that foreign nationals even go as far as to allegedly “corrupt” home affairs officials to issue the country’s documentation.

“Those are matters that cannot be discussed by other people other than ourselves. If we don’t discuss it then we don’t understand our role to defend this country and in that way the ANC shall be outvoted,” he said while on stage at the Nkangala regional congress in Witbank.

He said he was therefore calling on delegates to support a view that the issue be discussed at the party’s conference and a resolution taken to tighten the security of the borders.

“As a province we must look at this issue properly and present a proper document so that when we go to those policy conferences and PGC we really have discussions on the issue,” he said.

Mashilo was delivering a closing address at the regional conference where Thomas Ngwenya was elected to succeed him as Nkangala ANC leader.

Last month Mashilo was elected the provincial deputy chairperson paving the way for Ngwenya to emerge as chairperson of Nkangala – a post Mashilo held for a number of terms.

Regional spokesperson Sello Matshokga was elected the regional secretary, Auditor Mahlangu as the deputy secretary and deputy chairperson Jonas Boshomane while Busi Hlumbane was elected treasurer.

eMalahleni municipal speaker Mduduzi ‘Mswati’ Nkosi tried to contest on an anti-Mashilo slate but was defeated on the position of deputy chair when Boshomane was elected with 138 votes. Mswati got 91 votes.

Also district mayor Leah Khoza tried to contest the post of regional chairperson but lost to Ngwenya after getting 81, with Ngwenya getting 156.

Asked why comrades were not as jovial as they were in previous conferences, ANC spokesman Sam Masango said time differs.

“You will know that conferences differ from region to region, informed by the dynamics of that region,” said Masango.

Mashilo said he was happy that the Nkangala region was finally united – having found it in tatters when he took over power more than 10 years ago.

This was due to Mashilo and deputy president David Mabuza’s continued catfight.

The conference that had elected Mashilo was clandestinely moved to Ermelo, Gert Sibande region following an escalation of threats of violence in Nkangala as Mabuza looked to tighten his grip on the province.

(edited by MLM)
Send tip-offs to editor@013.co.za