Niehaus lashes claims he helped doctor NEC lekgotla statement

ANC member Carl Niehaus has come out in strong denial of a Sunday Times report that claimed he, Pule Mabe and ANC Secretary general Ace Magashule may have doctored an ANC National Executive Committee Lekgotla statement on the reserve bank to include controversial statements that shook investor confidence this week.

Niehaus tweeted at the Sunday Times saying that their “rag is peddling their usual stratcom lies”.

In their expose journalists Zimasa Matiwane and Ranjeni Munusamy claimed that viewing the original statement alongside the one Magashule read out to the media it is obvious, “that the initial statement was substantially changed to include the bank bombshell, which hammered the rand and raised new questions about SA’s fiscal policy”.

The paper has suggested that the alterations may have been done when, “Magashule’s press briefing was then delayed for more than an hour on Tuesday, while he was locked up in his office with party spokesperson Pule Mabe and MK Military Veterans Association Carl Niehaus”.

In the paper, Mabe denied that the adjustments were the cause for the delay saying instead that it had been caused by a march by ANC Youth league members.

Magashule too has denied the statements were adjusted by himself saying that he read the statement as us. “I have not seen any other statement,” he said. This despite the fact that the initial statement was sent to Magashule’s office on Monday at the end of the NEC Lekgotla.

This all follows from the fact that contradictory statements emerged from two sides within the ANC this week about whether the mandate of the Sarb should be expanded.

Magashule said the party lekgotla agreed to expand the Sarb mandate. He said all party deployees were expected to implement the decisions of the ANC 54th national conference – and that included the expansion of the bank’s mandate.

But the moderates, represented by Godongwana and Mboweni, responded vowing to oppose any attempt to expand that mandate beyond what it was presently. They insisted on a market-driven approach to the economy.

They were supported by strong statements from Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago, who emphasised the importance of maintaining the independence and impartiality of the central bank.

Godongwana said the ANC lekgotla was not a decision-making body and could not dictate terms to the party or government. He said the matter was debated and closed and no other structure could over-rule the ANC national conference decisions.

Within the ANC, Magashule’s statement was seen as another part of the fight-back by the Zuma camp after they lost power at Nasrec.

“It’s about power dominance; it’s about the control of the economic levers by those that lost at Nasrec,” said the member. “They lost the political power, now they want to gain the economic power, but they don’t understand the economy.

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