Mbalula’s firepool admission ‘could cost ANC and Ramaphosa dearly’

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s admission that the party lied in parliament to protect former president Jacob Zuma has rocked the country.

Addressing members of the ANC in Barberton on Sunday, Mbalula revealed that the ANC lied to South Africans about the swimming pool at Zuma’s Nkandla homestead when the saga was playing out in 2014.

Nkandla swimming pool was a ‘firepool’

According to Mbalula, the ANC defended Zuma and even went as far as to uphold the notion in parliament that the swimming pool was a “firepool”.

In 2014, former public protector Thuli Madonsela found in a report that Zuma should repay some of the money spent on “security measures” at the Nkandla homestead.

Among the security measures was a R3.9 million swimming pool, which senior ANC members said was a “firepool” that was necessary in case of a fire.

“In defence of our president, we opened an ad hoc committee in parliament and said a swimming pool is a firepool.

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“It’s difficult to explain lies but we said that a swimming pool was a firepool. People have lost their careers because of that thing,” he said.

“The Constitutional Court, led by Mogoeng Mogoeng, released a judgment against Zuma and said he was not fit for office, but the ANC stood by him. It was not said by me that he’s not fit for office, it was in a court judgment.

Zuma says he can’t stand by Ramaphosa

“Today, Zuma says he can’t stand by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has not even suffered any court blow.”

North-West University political analyst Prof Andre Duvenhage said Mbalula, “a loyalist of Ramaphosa”, was trying to safeguard Ramaphosa using an “extremely counterproductive” approach which would not benefit the ANC or Ramaphosa.

“Although he may be speaking the truth, from a strategic and tactical point of view, it was a devastating standpoint from an ANC perspective. The ANC is going to pay a huge penalty for this,” he said.

“I have no doubt that opposition parties will pick this up and use it against the ANC and Ramaphosa. I think Ramaphosa at the moment is probably more vulnerable than at any time in his career, or at the worst time of his career, as president of the country.”

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Mbalula becoming a problematic figure

Duvenhage said this was one of Mbalula’s announcements that was really problematic.

“He is becoming a problematic figure as secretary-general of the ANC from an ANC perspective,” he said.

Duvenhage also pointed out that this admission was a recognition that the ANC was a corrupt party, driven and governed by mafias which had no moral standing and that it should not be the government of South Africa from a democratic perspective.

Mbalula had also said that the ANC was disappointed in Zuma, but not surprised.

“We didn’t want him to go. We are shocked but not surprised when a former president of the ANC takes such a decision,” he said.

Cracks in the party

Sibongile Khumalo, a resident of Vosloorus, said the cracks in the party had been there for a long time.

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There was no point in hoping things would change because the factions and the infighting in the party has “always been there”.

“The divisions were showing even when Nelson Mandela was here. He had his own people that he wanted to succeed him. So nothing has changed,” she said.

Khumalo said the other issue was that the “untouchables” still held the reins in the ANC.

“Those who have passed away are lucky not to be witnessing what has become of the ANC.

“As a citizen who believed in the ANC that liberated us from the shackles of apartheid and brought change into our lives, it was sad to watch them continue to disappoint us daily,” Khumalo said.

“I have voted for the party since 1994 to date and along the way, they lost it and they started neglecting us. The promises were never kept. They only care about the enrichment of themselves and their families. The sad part is that they are not even ashamed of their doings.”

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A party of people vying for positions

Japhta Mncina, a resident of Roodepoort, said after 112 years, the ANC had become a party of people vying for positions and had diverted from delivering services to the masses.

Mncina said factionalism had precipitated greed and corruption. “Old people still want to cling to power and those fired by the organisation form splinter parties to scramble for the crumbs of greed,” he said

“The ANC is in dire straits because the greed and corruption are in the veins of those who are in power and they want to pass that baton to their kids and relatives.”