Gauteng ANC chairperson and Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Monday burst party Fikile Mbalula’s bubble in a heated showdown just when the secretary-general thought he could build a disciplinary case against him for being anti-President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of national unity (GNU).
Lesufi’s abrupt appearance before the ANC top seven was preceded by a phone call from Mbalula, whose bravado, in their interaction, suggested he was confident that he had him against the ropes.
Mbalula’s blatant threats during the call, according to insiders in the Gauteng ANC provincial executive committee, surprised Lesufi.
“You are trying to be Solly Mapaila, and we do not want another Solly Mapaila in the ANC,” Mbalula allegedly said, referring to the SACP general secretary, a fervent critic of the pro-poor ANC’s marriage to the pro-business DA in the GNU.
According to sources, Mbalula continued with his tirade against Lesufi. “Who do you think you are? I’ll show you who I am. Why are you saying all these things about the GNU?” Mbalula is alleged to have ranted.
Sources said Lesufi was taken aback and, despite disapproving of Mbalula’s tone, requested to know what it was he had done wrong.
But Mbalula only left him with a threat that there would be consequences, after which the letter summoning Lesufi to Luthuli House followed.
When Lesufi sat down with the officials on Monday, Mbalula led the charge against him, saying he was criticising the GNU in public and needed to explain his remarks.
But Lesufi would not back down, asking Mbalula to quote him verbatim.
“Mbalula played clips of an interview that Lesufi did with podcaster Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh. Lesufi corrected him, pointing out that the clips he had did not include the entirety of the interview.”
Lesufi reminded Mbalula that he served on the committee that drafts the developments of the GNU and how it must function going forward.
“Why would he turn around and critique the same GNU?” a source asked.
Lesufi told the meeting that his comments were based on his unhappiness with DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille’s public criticism of the ANC and its decisions.
Ramaphosa then expressed that he did not understand what the issue was and granted Lesufi permission to leave.
Insiders at Luthuli House said that manipulated social media clips of the Mpofu-Walsh interview were the source of Mbalula’s half-baked allegations. “Mbalula just got clips of the podcast between Lesufi and Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh.
He did not watch the whole podcast. Someone, maliciously and mischievously, sent him snippets of what Lesufi had said about the GNU.”
Sunday World understands that Fikile Mbalula then sent those snippets or clips to an ANC WhatsApp group, “creating the impression that Lesufi had gone rogue.”
Lesufi could not be reached for comment and Mbalula declined to comment.
On Tuesday, during a media briefing, Mbalula said he had a good relationship with Lesufi, and there could never be tension. Lesufi was called to present his perspective, and his explanations were accepted, he said.
