Brown Mokgotsi has confirmed receiving an invitation to respond to allegations against him made at the Madlanga commission. (Screenshot from SABC News)
In Brown Mogotsi, the ANC has once again missed an opportunity to show it is serious about flushing out rogue members. Beyond the public spat between the North West businessman and its secretary general Fikile Mbalula, the ANC ought to have used the Mogotsi matter to show it is not a den of criminals.
Its step-aside rule has been implemented selectively to serve factions rather than end impunity in the party. But the ANC’s survival heavily depends on self-correcting and ridding itself of dodgy cadres, including those who join to enrich themselves by stealing public funds.
Mogotsi, a central figure in the Madlanga probe into police capture by criminal cartels, is accused of feeding confidential police information to corruption and murder-accused Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala and of having an improper relationship with suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu.
Mogotsi has publicly claimed he is a member of the ANC “in good standing” until the end of this month. Mbalula argues Mogotsi’s membership has expired and, until his name popped up at the Madlanga commission, the party had no idea who he was.
But Mogotsi was in fact a member of the CR17 campaign that raised funds for party president Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign, a faction that included Mchunu, who contested the secretary general position but lost to yet another corruption-accused ANC leader, former Free State premier Ace Magashule.
The ANC must ask why it finds itself in this unenviable position and why it attracts dodgy members. Could it be the case of a fish rotting from the head? Several of its leaders have exhibited behaviour alien to the ethos and values of the ANC of Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.
While Ramaphosa has not been found guilty in the Phala Phala matter, questions continue to swirl around the presence of dollars stolen from couches and mattresses at his farm. His deputy Paul Mashatile is accused of using his family to amass wealth through state tenders.
Former party leader and South African president Jacob Zuma was accused of corruption and state capture involving the Gupta family.
Mbalula is accused by AfriForum of taking cash and a trip to Dubai from a service provider during his time as sports minister. Another top seven official, Gwede Mantashe, is accused of having security upgrades done at his home by corruption-accused Bosasa.
Zweli Mkhize, the party’s erstwhile treasurer general, resigned from the cabinet after he was accused of looting Covid-19 funds when he was health minister.
All of them, like Mogotsi, deny the accusations. But that none of the top officials except Mbalula have come out publicly to address the Mogotsi issue is telling. A case of those living in glass houses not wanting to throw stones, perhaps?