‘The president put Lekota in the political dustbin’ – Jackson Mthembu

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu has hit back against the claims made by Mosiuoa Lekota during his #SONADebate2019 speech in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).

On Wednesday, Lekota accused Ramaphosa of selling out by collaborating with the police’s security branch during the apartheid era.

“I have never ever been a spy. I’ve never worked with the enemy. All I’ve done is the commitment to the people of the country,” Ramaphosa said while responding to the heated debate on his Sona earlier today.

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Ramaphosa explained he was arrested in 1974 and held for six months during which police tried to persuade him to testify against Lekota and other student activists at the time.

“I refused. They produced my dad to put pressure on me to become a state witness and I refused…,” the president insisted.

Ramaphosa cautioned Lekota that the stories he was spreading were “dangerous”.

Mthembu then took to Twitter to weigh in on the saga.

#RamaphosaResponds " I have never sold out anyone . I never worked with the apartheid state . All I have ever done was to fight for the liberation of our people " , ending his response to the lunatic claims , President #CR put #Lekota where he belongs , the #politicaldustbin . pic.twitter.com/I8NdCh3hR2

— Minister Jackson Mthembu (@JacksonMthembu_) February 14, 2019

Speaking to the media on the steps of parliament after the house sitting, Mthembu (on behalf of the ANC) threw his weight behind Ramaphosa and condemned Lekota.

“He knew that the president refused to be a state witness in the trial of Seth Cooper, Lekota and others. That we have known all along. And for that he suffered,” said Mthembu.

He dubbed Lekota’s actions as a desperate attempt to gain a few votes and said that Lekota would never repeat what he said outside the walls of parliament because that would subject his claims to scrutiny outside of the protection afforded to utterances made by MPs while in the house.

"We have always had confidence in the President. We knew he refused to turn state witness. Terror was lying through his teeth. Even those who were there at the time, Seth Cooper has affirmed that Terror was lying" – @JacksonMthembu_ #SONADebate #RamaphosaResponds pic.twitter.com/InJbwRDCLT

— ANC Parliament (@ANCParliament) February 14, 2019

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