Jackson Mthembu defends Fikile Mbalula against ‘wedge drivers’

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu defended the party’s head of elections on Tuesday against those who reminded him he was not supporting then deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa when he was still vouching for presidency.

Mbalula shared a video of The Daily Show host Trevor Noah talking about his experience with Ramaphosa earlier this month for those who had not seen it and wrote: “Trevor meets the President”.

https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/1107859897335627776

Twitter user Fusie Lehasa responded to the video and reminded Mbalula that he had been rallying behind Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma instead of Ramaphosa before and during the December 2017 conference, a reminder that did not impress Mthembu, who was supporting Ramaphosa at the time.

“The president you never supported,” said Lehasa.

Mthembu told Lehasa that Mbalula was within his rights to have supported whoever he’d wanted to during the conference, but that what was important was that Mbalula was supportive of any sitting president.

“It’s the internal democracy in the @MYANC that dictates who we support or not during conferences. After conferences we support the leadership elected  Comrade @MbalulaFikile is fully behind our President @CyrilRamaphosa. You can’t spin that one.”

It's the internal democracy in the @MYANC that dictates who we support or not during conferences . After conferences we support the leadership elected . Comrade @MbalulaFikile is fully behind our President @CyrilRamaphosa . You can't spin that one .

— Minister Jackson Mthembu (@JacksonMthembu_) March 19, 2019

Responding to another user who asked him if he was Mbalula’s PA, Mthembu said: “I am his comrade and I truly hate wedge drivers.”

Mthembu and Mbalula are among the cadres who were vocal about who they would vote for to win the ANC presidency during the December 2017 conference. While Mthembu declared he’d voted for Ramaphosa to unify the ruling party, then police minister Mbalula took to social media and even opinion columns to declare his support for Dlamini-Zuma.

“Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will be ANC president, first female president. Brace yourselves. angina mona angina nzondo ngiyayidumisa I ANC [I am not jealous, I have no hate, I am praising the ANC],” Mbalula said at the time.

After the conference, he wrote: “Just voted for the mother princess NDZ. Dedication to all women.”

The tweets have since been deleted.

(Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde)

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