Gupta whistleblower, Vytjie Mentor dies

Former member of parliament Vytjie Mentor has died after battling a long illness. Action SA leader Herman Mashaba confirmed Mentor’s passing in a statement.

The party says Mentor had been ill for some time.

“This morning, her family called to inform us that she had succumbed to her illness after being hospitalised for several months.

“It should not be forgotten that Vytjie Mentor was the first to sound the alarm on what we today call “State Capture.”

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She served as an ANC Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2014 before joining ActionSA as its Provincial Chairperson in the Western Cape.

Mentor was among the first group of people who spoke out against the controversial Gupta family’s involvement in appointing individuals to key positions in government under former President Jacob Zuma’s tenure.

She had, as far as 2016, raised the alarm about the issue on various platforms, including the Public Protector.

One of the most memorable moments of the oral evidence presented before the four-year state capture commission had to have been that of Mentor.

Jaws dropped as she detailed how Zuma linked her with members of the Gupta family and was present at their Saxonwold residence when she was supposedly offered the post.

However, earlier this year, Mentor’s testimony before the state capture commission was dismissed, with the inquiry’s final report saying that she was not offered a position as minister of public enterprises by a member of the Gupta family at the Gupta residence.

ActionSA says Mentor was a true patriot who served her country even in the face of criticism.

“We will keep the family and friends of Vytjie in our thoughts and prayers and ask that her loved ones be given the privacy to grieve during this time.”

Mentor, stepped down from her role in ActionSA earlier year to assume new responsibilities within the party.

Mashaba, at the time, said the decision followed a period of Mentor experiencing poor health.

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