WATCH: ANC not scared of Pravin Gordhan, says Mbalula

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has disputed claims Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan is feared in the governing party.

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly came to Gordhan’s defence during a heated debate and alleged rejection of the minister’s presentation about the workings at state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

According to a Mail & Guardian insider the NEC poked holes in Gordhan’s presentation. “After he presented, with everyone expressing their frustration over his report, the president tried to calm the situation and explained that energy was handled by four ministers,” the NEC member said.

ANC not scared

Briefing the media on the outcomes of the ANC’s NEC meeting at Chief Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Mbalula said no minister was bigger than the governing party.

Watch: Mbalula says the ANC does not fear Gordhan

“We have also received reports in relation to SOEs… With regard to Minister Pravin Gordhan. Pravin Gordhan is a minister of the ANC, he’s not feared and no other minister is feared by the ANC. That’s why we call ministers, they give account.

“We do not change ministers as and when, it has to happen. We are focused now on delivery… We have raised our issues in relation to stability. In terms of SOE’s, we have got a full commitment from our ministers and from the president that these matters are attended to and they will be resolved,” Mbalula said.

ALSO READ: Life better in SA: ANC responds to ‘propaganda’ it’s done nothing

Life better in SA

Mbalula also hit back at “propaganda” claiming the ANC NEC has done nothing in the nearly 30 years it has been in power.

“A straightforward and irrefutable fact emerged from the 2022 Census by StatsSA: life in South Africa is considerably better today than in 1994 or 2019. This is despite the challenges that we have faced as a country.

“The NEC noted that while a lot is being done contributing to the economic recovery, communicating these strides to the masses of our people is essential to dispel the propaganda suggesting the ANC has done nothing, which flies against the scientific evidence [from] the Census 2022 Report,” Mbalula said.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Mbalula clarifies remarks about disrespecting Thabo Mbeki

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