Wally Mbhele and Justin Arenstein
Discredited members of the Mpumalanga African National Congress provincial executive committee – including some who have been axed from the provincial government on charges of corruption – have sought to influence Deputy President Thabo Mbeki to oust Premier Mathews Phosa.
According to senior ANC sources, the people heading a campaign to oust Phosa include Mpumalanga MEC for Economic Affairs Jacob Mabena, MEC for Agriculture January “Chair” Masilela, axed secretary general of the ANC Youth League James Nkambule and recently fired MEC for environmental affairs and tourism Fish Mahlalela. Last year they undertook a secret visit to Mbeki’s office after Phosa had taken drastic steps against officials implicated in the Mpumalanga Parks Board (MPB) scandal.
Phosa this week dismissed as a “smear” claims that he was being investigated by individuals who are “on the last branches and leaves of their political lives. They are trying to buy certain politicians to protect them. I’m not going to buy that, and I will pursue them to the edge of the precipice.” Phosa added that he had been elected to his current position unopposed but that had not precluded people who lost from trying to win positions through illegal means.
The key to the controversy appears to be suspended MPB chief executive Alan Gray, Mpumalanga’s prince of the dodgy deal. Gray is the architect of some of the province’s most fantastic scandals, including the R25-billion Dolphin deal and the more recent R1,3-billion promissory note saga.
The scandal hinges on the secret use of 31 provincial game reserves to issue six promissory notes worth R1,3-billion to a number of shady financial brokers in return for offshore loans of between R300-million and R500-million.
Probes into the deal by the Heath special investigative unit and police have since revealed a network of front companies and secret bank accounts used to channel state funds from the MPB to the ANC, ANC Youth League and Gray.
Nkambule – who served in the MPB – was fired by Phosa following allegations that he received irregular benefits from Gray.
Soon after details of the deal emerged, an anonymous “confidential” report, which attempted to implicate Phosa in the scandal, was sent to Mbeki’s office. This was followed by a meeting with Mbeki where they attempted to paint Phosa as an “autocratic ruler”.
Concerned about serious divisions in the province, Mbeki went to Mpumalanga last week “to look at the situation”. It was during this visit, after hearing all sides of the story, that it was agreed that an ANC commission of inquiry be established. Last year the ANC provincial conference endorsed a decision to institute an inquiry into the MPB and the network of Gray’s secret companies.
Sources close to the ANC provincial executive committee this week described Mabena, who is Phosa’s deputy chair in the ANC, as “ambitious”. He attempted, on more than one occasion, to stand against Phosa during provincial ANC elections. He lost the contest. Recently he contested the position for provincial secretary general and lost again.
Mabena’s bitterness is understood to be generated by the fact that his name is not among the top 10 candidates of the nominations list for the Mpumalanga parliament after this year’s elections. “He sees himself an alternative leader in the province,” said a source.
Mahlalela’s enmity towards Phosa, according to sources, stems from the fact that he was recently fired as MEC after he refused to take directives from the provincial executive council and Phosa on the handling of Gray’s dismissal.
He attempted to give Gray a golden handshake when Phosa preferred to have him investigated and charged. Mahlalela – without informing Phosa or the provincial cabinet – unilaterally decided to reinstate Nkambule to the MPB when he had not yet been cleared of alleged involvement in MPB deals.
It was then that Nkambule and Gray decided to tell Mbeki that Phosa knew about the MPB deals. Nkambule has also been named as an official who has been at the forefront of leaking “negative” stories about Phosa to the media.
According to the head of Mbeki’s office, Smuts Ngonyama, the province failed to set up an inquiry into the alleged corruption until the ANC national office decided to appoint office bearers to head one.
Provincial ANC secretary Solly Maseko said that the party had instead decided to launch an independent forensic audit into the MPB. He was unclear whether the audit would still probe the network itself or whether it would allow for public testimony.
Maseko and the province’s ANC representative, Jackson Mthembu, were also both insistent that Phosa had done nothing wrong by allowing local businesspeople to throw lavish parties in his honour. “What is wrong with accepting love? We only have to declare presents over the value of R200 but a party is not a present and there is no way to declare love – how do you quantify love?” said Mthembu.
The inquiry under the leadership of ANC national executive committee official Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula started its hearings last week. Mbeki and Minister of Public Works Jeff Radebe formed part of the national delegation that preceded over the hearings.
“They listened to everybody, including regional committees, interested parties and Phosa himself,” said an ANC insider.
“These are new allegations. The probe was not about the Dolphin deal, but it concerned the MPB scandal. These people want to create a situation where the public would think Phosa did not want the investigation. In fact, when Mathews learned about the alleged ANC involvement, he recommended an investigation.”
Thabo Masebe, representative of the ANC’s head office, has denied the existence of a plot to unseat Phosa.