Cope calls for Nkoana-Mashabane’s head over comment about Mandela’s ‘fault’

The Congress of the People (Cope) has called on the ANC to recall Minister of International Relations Maite Nkoana-Mashabane from her position with immediate effect.

The party has accused the minister of being an enemy of a nonracial country.

In a statement on Monday, Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota said his party was shocked to hear Nkoana-Mashabane’s response to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s question when he asked her why white people still wielded power in South Africa.

Cope claims Nkoana-Mashabane responded to Mugabe by saying it was former president Nelson Mandela’s “fault”. The exchange is said to have happened last week during the 37th Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit that was held in Pretoria.

Nkoana-Mashabane should have reminded the Zimbabwean longtime leader that South Africa adopted a nonracial, democratic and nonsexist constitution, Lekota said.

“By saying it was our late president’s ‘mistake’, she exposed herself as not supporting the nonracial policy of our nation and therefore, failed ‘to uphold’ the constitution of our nation, which she swore to do!” he added.

Mugabe slates Mandela’s leadership

Meanwhile, speaking at a funeral in Harare at the weekend, Mugabe criticised South Africa’s land redistribution under the leadership of Mandela, eNCA reported.

The 93-year-old leader said the world icon made too many concessions towards the white minority.

“I asked one of the ANC ministers, how come whites have been left with so much power, and he said it was because of your friend, Mandela, he is the one who made mistakes,” Mugabe reportedly said.

He also said Mandela insisted going alone to negotiate with the apartheid government.

“He said to everyone, ‘Go back and I will go alone.’ Yes, he might have been a lawyer, but support was needed.”

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