A senior government communications figure has raised his hand, acknowledging that he is the media point man for the campaign to elevate billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe to the presidency of the ANC.
Ishmael Mnisi – publicly known as a government spokesperson for science and technology minister Blade Nzimande, a senior SACP leader – has formally announced himself as head of media and public relations for the “PM27” campaign, an organised ANC lobbying initiative positioning Motsepe as a future party leader.
Mnisi’s signed designation – naming a defined media and PR leadership role within PM27 – intensifies questions about how coordinated and resourced the Motsepe ANC succession lobby has become and whether it is drawing on experienced state and alliance
officials as it builds internal momentum.
Mnisi positioned Motsepe as a unifying force for the ANC’s renewal and formally outlined a political strategy framing his potential presidency as a catalyst for ethical and grassroots resurgence that would operate strictly under the party’s existing rules.
He provided the consolidated framework of the “Savumelana” (We Agreed) initiative, saying it directly addressed the central tension of a mining magnate seeking to renew a party grappling with a profound credibility crisis, arguing that Motsepe’s profile is
uniquely suited to the task.
“His leadership style echoes the African philosophy of ‘ubuntu’… Motsepe has made this ethos actionable,” he asserts. It includes a personal quote attributed to Motsepe: “The struggle for justice is the struggle to uplift the poor – our freedom is incomplete until every South African can live with dignity.”
The campaign’s core argument is that Motsepe cannot save the ANC alone but can lead a movement of self-reflection and bold reform that empowers collective contribution. Mnisi said the vision is about “mobilising South Africans from all walks of life to reconnect with the ANC through active participation, from local branches to national structures”.
He said the Motsepe political project was not an external challenge but a disciplined, internal ANC campaign for the party’s future direction.
