Bolsheviks Party of South Africa leader Seun Mogotji has dismissed Stan Mathabatha’s claim that he voluntarily stepped aside from political life to preserve his integrity, calling it “a fairytale unfit for adults”.
Mathabatha, the former Limpopo premier and ANC provincial chairperson, announced that he would vacate his position, citing an “intolerance for misconduct” and fear of tarnishing his image. However, Mogotji is not convinced.
“Is this a prank? Did Stan wake up in the morning and suddenly grow some conscience?” asked Mogotji.
“So much corruption took place under his watch while he was the premier, and he never lifted a finger to stop it, even when he had the executive power to do so.
“So now he will step aside voluntarily? What is pushing this man to do this? He must give us the real story, not this lullaby he is feeding us. We are not in kindergarten.”
VBS Bank scandal
Mogotji accused Mathabatha of shielding senior ANC leaders implicated in scandals instead of taking corrective action.
He cited the case of Florence Radzilani, Mathabatha’s current deputy in the ANC’s Limpopo leadership, as an example of the former premier’s failure to act.
“During his term in office, he failed to deal with the issue of Florence Radzilani. Instead of taking remedial action against her, he put her in charge of the police, knowing very well that the police were not going to investigate their boss,” Mogotji charged.
Radzilani, who was the mayor of Vhembe during the VBS Mutual Bank scandal, was implicated in the “Great Bank Heist” report by advocate Terry Motau.
The report alleged that she demanded kickbacks after her municipality allegedly channelled R300-million into VBS, which later collapsed.
Integrity commission
Despite the recommendation from the ANC integrity commission for her removal, Radzilani returned to her position as ANC deputy provincial chair in 2020 and subsequently served as MEC in Mathabatha’s cabinet.
The ANC defended her return, noting that she has never been criminally charged.
Mogotji said Mathabatha’s failure to act decisively on such scandals renders his moral posture laughable.
“Mathabatha wants us to believe he suddenly became the custodian of ANC values in Limpopo, but his record in government says otherwise. He must come clean with the real reasons.”
The Bolsheviks Party has positioned itself as a fierce watchdog in Limpopo, often challenging the ANC’s internal contradictions.
Mogotji insisted that Limpopo residents deserve more than “political theatre” from leaders who claim to be driven by values while ignoring misconduct.
