Former SANDF spy ‘an enemy of the ANC’

Former uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadres have distanced themselves from retired South African National Defence Force (SANDF) lieutenant-general Mojo Motau, who is calling for the ANC national executive committee (NEC) to be disbanded.

Motau has been running what appears to be a one-man campaign to unseat the Cyril Ramaphosa-led NEC. He wants it replaced by an interim national task team (NTT).

Both factions of MK veteran bodies have dissociated themselves from Motau.

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Motau, who retired from the SANDF when he was head of military intelligence, called himself a convenor of the “ANC cadre summit”, which he said sat on 30 April to discuss the implementation of the TAS2025 (turnaround strategy) and establishment of a NTT to “reclaim the ANC”.

He said the NTT would oversee ANC affairs until a provisional NEC was constituted.

“The process of cleansing the ANC from apartheid spies, counter-revolutionaries and criminals has started in earnest,” Motau said in a statement.

But late last year, his move to organise a cadre assembly to discuss ANC affairs was rejected by SANDF members, who refused to participate.

Yesterday uMkhonto we Sizwe’s national council called Motau a “loose cannon” and said he had begun to show his true colours as the “enemy of the revolution” and the ANC.

Council secretary-general Gregory Nthatisi said Motau was a “nonstarter” and a “noise maker”, who is trying to get into politics in a wrong way.

“He … belongs to a group of old individuals who are taking a chance because of the problems that the ANC is in. Once you get outside of the organisation to make a noise about it, you are the enemy of the ANC,” Nthatisi said.

“Real cadres of the ANC and MK do not behave like that. That behaviour is foreign and un-ANC.”

The MK Military Veterans Association said although Motau, a former MK cadre, was a member, he was not mandated by them.

Its spokesman, Carl Niehaus, distanced the association from Motau’s campaign.

“He does what he does on his own volition.”

Niehaus said the association executive had not taken a position on Motau and his actions and he could not yet say they were either for or against him.

Nthatisi said Motau belonged to the generation before him, but “all the comrades of that generation are of sharp mind”. Motau seemed the wrong kind.

Attempts to get Motau to comment failed. ANC spokesman Pule Mabe did not respond queries.

ericn@citizen.co.za