/ 14 November 2008

Smuts slams mole report

A news report that former ANC communications chief Smuts Ngonyama’s personal assistant was a spy for the breakaway party, was a ”total harassment of a young girl”, he said on Friday.

Meanwhile, African National Congress spokesperson Carl Niehaus said he could not confirm whether an investigation was under way against the woman but confirmed that she was currently ”on holiday”.

The Times, without quoting a source, reported that Vuyisa Manyandela had been accused of being a mole for the new opposition party.

”It is so unfair to a poor little girl who decided to remain behind and do her work. There’s absolutely no truth in it,” said Ngonyama, who resigned from the ANC on Thursday to join the Congress of the People.

”It is mischievous and so destructive to this young girl. I really do not know what it is she will be spying for. When she worked there, she dedicated her time to the ANC.

”[This is happening] just because she happened to work for me,” said Ngonyama.

The ANC’s Niehaus said: ”The report seems to be full of rumour and innuendo. If there are allegations that are being made against any member, those will be investigated. But the investigation will be done in way that does not prejudice people.”

Asked if an investigation against Manyandela was indeed under way, he replied: ”I can’t confirm whether there’s any investigation,” adding: ”it is absolutely not a situation where anyone has been removed.”

He said Manyandela was currently on leave.

”She’s been away for a couple of days on holiday. I would assume it would not be for too long a period … because there is a lot of work to be done,” said Niehaus.

The Times said that Manyandela allegedly passed documents, including minutes of ANC meetings and the party’s strategic plans to Cope, led by former ANC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota, who is launching the new party on December 16.

Ngonyama said on Thursday he had resigned because he was no longer able to ”tolerate or embrace” the recent disrespect of authority in the party.

It was offensive and ”not something we can celebrate”, he said at a press conference. – Sapa