The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, has come under fire from her comrades in KwaZulu-Natal, who are accusing her of giving a platform to an MP from the MK Party (Umkhonto Wesizwe – MKP) during a government event.
Nkabane, an ANC member of parliament, has held a number of leadership roles in KwaZulu-Natal’s branch, regional, and provincial executive committees for the ANC Women’s League and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL).
Comrades baying for her blood
Nkabane’s comrades are now baying for her blood. On Wednesday, Sibonelo Nomvalo, a former leader of the ANC Youth League who is now a member of the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party, was given a podium to speak.
That was when Nkabane’s department was opening an innovation laboratory at the Umzimkhulu campus of Esayidi TVET College. Nomvalo, who hails from the area, told Sunday World that he was given the platform to speak as an MP whose constituency office is located in Umzimkhulu.
He said the platform was also given to her colleague, MP Nombuso Mtolo. The latter is the wife of Bheki Mtolo, the dethroned provincial secretary of the ANC.
“MP Mtolo said she had been covered and did not speak after me. And the programme director called other speakers and moved on,” Nomvalo said.
Fly-by-night parties
The ANC Youth League in the Harry Gwala region is now fuming, saying Nkabane is giving government platforms to “fly-by-night parties” yet the government is led by the ANC.
“At this point it is clear that the government is leading the ANC, not the other way around. And this unfortunate state of affairs was witnessed by the audacity of the minister who allowed counter-revolutionary or fly-by-night parties like MKP to give messages of support to this event for the students and society of Umzimkhulu,” the league said in a scathing statement which was directed at Nkabane.
Nkabane’s woes did not end there. Other ANC leaders in KZN joined the fray and lambasted her in a private WhatsApp group, and the screenshots of that were leaked. Among those who demanded action was Bheki Mtolo.
“This thing of some ANC national ministers giving MKP space to speak in government programmes must end. Now how does an ordinary MKP MP become important in a government event to the extent of being given a space to address the masses (sic)?” he asked.
Flirting with the enemy
Another ANC leader, Jomo Sibiya, who is also Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment, concurred. He responded: “It’s nonsense.”
Mtolo came back and said: “This must be highly punishable. MKP liquidates us here; some of us are flatting with it (sic).”
In the same WhatsApp group chat, chairperson of the Harry Gwala region where Nkabane hails from, said: “We still have MKP sympathisers inside the ANC this should be condemned (sic).”
Nkabane’s spokesperson, Camagwini Mavovana, is yet to respond about the bashing the minister got after the event.
