‘Gupta-funded’ Mngxitama’s defence of Dlamini ‘confuses’ law expert

In the wake of the Sassa debacle, BLF leader Andile Mngxitama’s strong and ongoing support of Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini has “confused” at least one constitutional law expert.

Mngxitama argues that it is Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan who should face the blame for the Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) and Sassa debacle, which threatens the grant payments of 17 million vulnerable South African citizens. In Mngxitama’s view, Treasury should sanction the deviation from tender contract laws to allow CPS to keep making payments, and if this doesn’t happen and beneficiaries don’t get paid, Mngxitama wants Gordhan to take the blame.

He says that, unlike Gordhan who allegedly has shares in CPS, Dlamini doesn’t have shares at CPS – a company which falls under Grindrod Bank.

Where things get confusing in the case of Mngxitama, though, is that controversial businessman Johann Rupert is a major shareholder in Grindrod, and Rupert is Mngxitama’s greatest enemy, a man the BLF leader has repeatedly held up as the hated face of what he calls “white monopoly capital”.

Mngxitama suggests the finance minister is “conflicted to the core” because he is a “business partner” of the Ruperts. This link, however, is unsubstantiated.

“Pravin Gordhan takes over negotiations of SASSA deal but he is a beneficiary via Grindrod. Conflicted to the core.

“Its not Bathabile Dlamini who has shares in Grindrod bank. It’s Pravin Gordhan who is negotiator of new deal with CPS. Plot thickens.

“Bathabile Dlamini is accused of protecting CPS but unlike Gordhan she has no shares in CPS bankers. It’s a mess.”

However, constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos says all of this “so confusing”, because the embattled Dlamini has been “protecting” CPS. Her years of apparent inaction in the face of the Constitutional Court ordering her department to find another company to distribute Sassa payments, or get Sassa to do the job itself, have now ensured that only CPS appears to be in a position to continue the payments.

A further reading of De Vos’ tweets makes it clear that he’s not really confused, though. In his view, Mngxitama is being funded by the controversial Gupta company to defend Zuma-aligned ministers regardless of the intellectual inconsistencies that may result.

https://twitter.com/pierredevos/status/841714968449953792

“So confusing. Minister Dlamini is protecting CPS who uses Grindrod Bank whose largest shareholders is the Ruperts. Where is @Mngxitama?” asked De Vos on Twitter. He added that: “Obviously the Guptas are not paying @Mngxitama to embarrass Minister Dlamini…”

https://twitter.com/pierredevos/status/841726726057152513

https://twitter.com/pierredevos/status/841725490926882817

In response, the BLF leader said: “@pierredevos I’m not your garden boy I don’t take instructions from you and worse about which black person to attack. Where is our land?” adding that: “Imagine @pierredevos thinks he can actually instruct me to embarrass Bathabile Dlamini? i do not get told by whites to fight any black person.”

De Vos obviously touched a nerve because Mngxitama fired off even more tweets in response.

https://twitter.com/Mngxitama/status/841736994220838916

https://twitter.com/Mngxitama/status/841736269373837313

https://twitter.com/Mngxitama/status/841735049926070272