‘White people didn’t steal the land… black people must accept defeat’ – Moeletsi Mbeki

Moeletsi Mbeki, the brother of former President Thabo Mbeki said whites did not steal the land in South Africa, but rather fought for it.

Mbeki was speaking on 702 on Wednesday in a wide-ranging interview ahead of the national and provincial elections on 29 May.

The former president’s brother also touched on the African National Congress’ (ANC) policy successes and failures in the last three decades of government.

Whites conquered

Mbeki said the whites fought for the land they have.

“There was a war between the black people and the white people and the whites won the war. They did not steal the land they conquered it.”

Asked if the “system of conquering” was unfair because the whites had more resources, Mbeki simply said that black people fought and lost.

“No, they fought against it, they were defeated and when you are defeated you have to accept defeat.”

“White people didn’t steal the land. They conquered. They conquered it and black people must accept defeat” Moeletsi Mbeki on #TheCMShow on @Radio702 Do you agree or disagree? LISTEN 👇🏿 pic.twitter.com/yi95YQcnBT

— Clement Manyathela (@TheRealClementM) March 7, 2024

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘The closer ANC gets to losing power, the more corruption we are going to see’ – Moeletsi Mbeki

Critical of ANC

Mbeki has been very critical of the governing ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Last year, he said South Africa was likely to see more corruption as ANC comes closer to losing power.

He said South Africa is not better off under the presidency of Ramaphosa.

“No, no, we are not better off. For the last 10 years, the per capita income of South Africans has been declining, which means we have been getting poorer and we are still getting poorer today, so we are not better off.”

Mbeki alleged that public officials are at the heart of corruption.

“The painful part is the closer the ANC gets to losing power, the more corruption we are going to see.”

“They have to take out from this feeding trough and put it in their pockets because they think that after [the] elections they will no longer be in power. So, I am afraid we have a lot more pain coming from corruption in the coming months,” Mbeki said.

Ramaphosa ‘not a leader’

Mbeki previously said Ramaphosa is not a “leader but a party agent”.

He said Ramaphosa has one of the best public relations machines he could think of, “even better than Bell Pottinger”, but failed as South Africa’s president.

“The man has totally failed as a president, he can’t decide on anything, but many people believe he can save South Africa.” 

“Cyril is not a leader really. He was never a leader. He is an apparatchik or an agent of the party but he presents himself as a leader. He’s not a leader – if you put him next to Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and even Jacob Zuma.”

Mbeki said Ramaphosa fails as a leader because he does not believe in anything.

“He goes with the flow. He wakes up in the morning and says ‘which way is the wind blowing’ and ‘I’m gonna go that way’.”

Mbeki also said the ANC as a collective should be blamed for the country’s failures.

ALSO READ: Moeletsi Mbeki roasts Ramaphosa: He has ‘totally failed as a president’