Mboweni ‘likes’ BLF’s anti-Gordhan tweet, blames it on account being hacked
The finance minister expressed 'surprise' at finding out he had liked a tweet accusing Gordhan's defenders of plotting with 'the colonisers'.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. Picture: Gallo Images
When Black First Land First (BLF) spokesperson Lindsay Maasdorp took to Twitter to take aim at those who have “plotted with the coloniser and marched arm in arm to defend Pravin Gordhan”, the tweet appeared to get approval from an unlikely corner when finance minister Tito Mboweni ‘liked’ the tweet.
Picture: Screenshot.
“We must never forget those who organised with settlers, sat and plotted with the coloniser, and marched arm in arm to defend Pravin Gordhan and to remove president Zuma; all to please Rupert,” the full tweet read.
According to News24, Mboweni’s spokesperson Jabulani Sikhakhane said the minister himself was “surprised” to find he’d liked Maasdorp’s tweet, claiming to have never seen it before.
“Maybe someone hacked the minister’s Twitter account. We don’t know,” was Sikhakhane’s excuse.
“He didn’t like the tweet, it wouldn’t make sense as it would be an attack on a colleague.”
READ MORE: Mngxitama wants Gordhan out
Sikhakhane also said no one other than the minister himself was active on the account and that an investigation into the matter would take place.
People have questioned Mboweni’s social media presence before, most recently after an online rant declaring war on the media that was not well received. The DA slammed what they called a “meltdown” and the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said they were “deeply disturbed” by the tweets.
Mboweni tweeted: “Wars start in different ways. Spears and shields, gunpowder, bullets, and now through media: printed and electronic (e.g. trade wars by a superpower president ), and then social media!! Well, the SA editors must be editors!! If needs be, we will be forced into the fight, WAR!
READ MORE: ‘Tweeto’ Mboweni cancels Q&A, consults with ‘Mr Fearfokol’
“Many people might not know this, I am a product of the warrior commanders of the mighty Zulu Army from the northern part of KZN, eNgwavuma, we fear nothing! We die only with spears on our chests NOT our backs. Mayihlome! We face the fire NOT run away from it. The time to be gentle is OVER. The line has been drawn on the sand! This far and no further.
“We fear nothing! We die only with spears [in] our chests, not our backs. Mayihlome! We face the fire not run away from it.
“The problem is that there will be COLLATERAL DAMAGE!!”
READ MORE: Malema declares war on Ramaphosa, Motsepe and Gordhan
While the tweets have caused concern in some quarters, Mboweni told News24 on Sunday that South Africa should not worry: “We have been in conversations with the SA National Editors’ Forum. We have agreed to meet soon to discuss any issues that may have arisen from my communication. There is really nothing to worry about.”
BLF, meanwhile, have long called for Gordhan’s head, and can possibly lay claim to having been against him before it was fashionable.
While the EFF appeared to have turned on the minister this year, BLF leader Andile Mngxitama tweeted that he had opened a corruption case against the minister of public enterprises in February 2017.
The basis of their case was Gordhan’s “failure to report criminal activity that was reported to him by Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas as indicated in the ‘State of Capture’ report of the public protector.”
Mngxitama has also continually called for Gordhan’s removal.
https://twitter.com/Mngxitama/status/834387504623124480
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
