The African National Congress (ANC) has refused to divulge details of the meeting of its senior leaders with former President Thabo Mbeki.
Mbeki met the officials yesterday following the leaking of his letter criticising the party for using its parliamentary majority to protect President Cyril Ramaphosa whom he believes has a case to answer about his Phala Phala farm scandal.
Mbeki, in the scathing 17-page letter to the ANC top brass raised concerns about the manner in which the party dealt with the Phala Phala scandal and made comparisons with Nkandlagate which involved former President Jacob Zuma, who parliamentarians also tried to shield from accountability.
“The way we voted on December 13, 2022 to block the process of the formation of an MPC communicated the unequivocal statement to the masses of the people that we do not want Parliament to seek and gain a deeper and comprehensive understanding of the Phala Phala matter.
“In other words, we acted as we did because there is something to hide!” Mbeki said in the letter.
Mbeki also said he was disturbed by the way the ANC has voted on the matter of Eskom, where some MPs wanted the corruption allegations in the state-owned power utility company to be probed.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile on his service delivery engagement in the Vaal today skirted on the Mbeki issue by saying the matter was being dealt with by Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters.
“The other issues are being dealt with elsewhere the (ANC) Secretary General has already issued a statement with our meeting with (former) President Mbeki,” he said.
However, an ANC statement issued this morning, following the meeting does not mention any of the issues that were raised by the former President which include Phala Phala and the electricity crisis.
The statement merely said the meeting reflected on the contents of Mbeki’s letter in a ‘comradely and collegial spirit’.
“The discussion was framed around organisational renewal and unity of the ANC. National officials reaffirmed the ANC’s commitment to organisational renewal as well as the advisory role of elders as champions and ambassadors of the renewal agenda.
The meeting was unanimous in its appreciation of the urgency to renew the ANC. To this end, former President Mbeki underscored his strong support for the renewal and unity of the ANC.” said the statement issued by ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula.
Phala Phala is arguably the biggest scandal after Nkandla and some believe Ramaphosa should fall on his sword over the saga.
The Phala Phala scandal began in February 2020 after a gang of men broke into Ramaphosa’s game farm and made off with around $4 million that was stashed in his furniture. Ramaphosa has vehemently denied that this was the amount stolen and has consistently said it was a much smaller amount.
