ANC veterans pleaded with Mavuso Msimang to return to the party

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu says ANC veterans pleaded with Mavuso Msimang to return to the party after news of his resignation from the ANC made headlines.

Following developments that Msimang had retracted his resignation letter, Bhengu told a local radio station that the party elders had expressed concern about Mavuso’s departure and begged him to reconsider his position.

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“There was a plea from the veterans, and the ANC supported the veterans. The veterans are intrinsically linked to the ANC. I want to emphasise this point because there is a narrative to say it’s the veterans against the ANC, and there is no such a thing,” Bhengu said.

Bhengu confirmed that Msimang had met with the ANC’s Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, and ironed out their differences. Mbalula had accused Msimang of “being vulnerable” to bribes and being linked to Roger Jardin’s new political movement, Change Starts Now.

“Fences have been mended, and we must congratulate broth comrade Mavuso and comrade Fikile for coming to that conclusion. The most important thing for us to take is that one of our veterans is reaffirming his commitment to continue raising these issues internally,” Bhengu said.

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Bhengu said she was not aware of any links that Msimang has to Change Starts Now (CSN).

“There is no such a narrative within the ANC,” she said.

Bhengu said the ANC was serious about ridding itself of corrupt leaders and renewing itself.

“ Our perspective is that corruption is not in the DNA of the ANC. We may be having members that have been implicated and have been found to be corrupt we have a challenge to root them out of the movement in a way that is done in accordance with the policies and the constitution,” Bhengu said.

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Bhengu confirmed that ANC members who were implicated in the Zondo report that probed allegations of state capture and corruption would have to be cleared by the party’s integrity commission to assume leadership positions.