Trophy fracas ‘a storm in a teacup’

If given a chance, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula would also have lifted the Rugby World Cup trophy before KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube – which brought to the fore the issue of two centres of power in the province.

Mbalula weighed in on the fracas outside the Sandton police station, where he laid a crimen injuria case against businessman Mthunzi Mdwaba, who had claimed the ANC leader was among those who solicited a R500 million bribe from him (see story below).

ALSO READ: Dube-Ncube agreed to Duma lifting Springboks trophy, says ANC KZN

“Let’s not act about moments of excitement. [Eben] Etzebeth is there and we have won the World Cup. Everybody wanted to touch that, even myself – whether the premier was there [or not], I would have touched the World Cup, undermining protocol,” Mbalula said.

“You could have seen how people behaved in East London; women jumping on [Siya] Kolisi, kissing him at random. It’s excitement, it’s happiness, we were all happy. Players drank from that cup, I also want to … to feel it. “We are happy about our boys, they have done the country proud and now we are diverting useless things on who was supposed to hold it.”

ALSO READ: Mbalula says Mbeki’s criticism of ANC ‘could be justified’

Understanding the two sides

There have been talks that there are two centres of power in KZN, with Siboniso Duma, the ANC provincial chair, being accused of not understanding that.

Despite being an ANC leader in the province, he needed to give space for Dube-Ncube to lead in government.

On several occasions Duma has stepped up and acted like he was the premier in Dube-Ncube’s presence, showing that there was no separation of powers between the party and the work of government in the province.

Recently, in a viral video, Duma grabbed and hoisted the Rugby World Cup before Dube-Ncube could do so.

ALSO READ: ‘Ace will have his own charade’ – Fikile Mbalula weighs in on Magashule’s new party

The premier, however, came out this week to downplay this, saying: “I do not believe I can be overshadowed. I am woman enough, strong enough, a leader enough.”

The Citizen understands that the party’s KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo has written to Mbalula about Duma taking over as premier to avoid two centres of power.

Mtolo also downplayed the incident, claiming both Duma and Dube-Ncube had agreed on who would lift the trophy.

“The premier sent me a WhatsApp to clarify that [this was] not a true reflection of what has happened. They have agreed with the chair that, you see this guy is too tall and I may not match him when he is going up.”

ALSO READ: ‘No evidence’: NPA will not prosecute Fikile Mbalula for Dubai holiday