Tokyo Sexwale slams Zuma slate

Former human settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale has described the unravelling of the ANC leadership crisis as a shattering of the so-called “Mangaung slate”.

He was speaking to journalists after the Nelson Mandela Foundation held a press conference imploring President Jacob Zuma to listen to his conscience and step down.

The former ANC NEC member described the collective fall from grace of top ANC and government officials in a slew of scandals and public squabbles as a full-circle moment for the party.

“All the people who were happy at our loss at Mangaung … all the people who were happy at our removal from Cabinet, are now being shattered,” he said.

Trustee board members of the foundation on Wednesday expressed their urgent call for Zuma to step down, but also said the network of corruption that was evident in public entities and government should equally be removed.

“It would be a mistake to focus on one leader because there is a network of corruption has been set up and removing one leaves the network intact. And so any corrective action will have to consider that fact and bear in mind that the tentacles are wide and spread out,” said the foundation’s chairperson, Professor Njabulo Ndebele.

Sexwale recently announced he would step down as chairperson of finance company Trillian after several allegations emerged, including that its CEO, Eric Wood, had ties to the Gupta family, and was part of their alleged efforts to influence National Treasury.

Commenting on the controversial family’s alleged influence in the ANC, Sexwale distanced himself from having any current ties to them.

“I do not know how they operate as mentioned today.

“But they were partners in some of the businesses that we had … public partners before [Zuma] became president. I do not know their method of operating today.”

– simnikiweh@citizen.co.za