The African National Congress has taken aim at AngloGold CEO Bobby Godsell’s involvement as a ”facilitator” at a top-secret meeting of Inkatha Freedom Party and Democratic Alliance leaders last month, criticising it as ”surprising” and ”unwise”.
ANC national spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said the ANC held Godsell in high esteem as ”a respected business leader of integrity” and relied on his views as ”given without political interest”.
However, he had now given the impression that his agenda was to unite the IFP and DA in opposition to the ANC, and that he was not completely impartial.
Godsell was on leave this week and was not available to field inquiries. However, AngloGold’s public affairs manager, Alan Fine, said he had acted ”as a private citizen, rather than as a business leader”.
”AngloGold is active in civic affairs, and it is company policy to encourage people to get involved in their private capacity,” Fine said.
The Mail & Guardian has confirmed that Godsell acted as facilitator at a top-secret ”retreat” attended by IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi and DA leader Tony Leon on December 9 and 10 last year.
The high-level IFP delegation also included KwaZulu-Natal Premier Lionel Mtshali, Minister of Correctional Services Ben Skosana, national spokesperson Musa Zondi and Buthelezi’s adviser, Mario Ambrosini.
Flanking Leon for the DA were, among others, national chairperson Joe Seremane, chairperson of the federal council James Selfe, deputy chairperson Helen Zille and KwaZulu-Natal party leader Roger Burrows.
The meeting is understood to have discussed both the joint plan to dissolve the legislature and force an early provincial election in KwaZulu-Natal, and the broader question of future relations between the parties.
A 12-page confidential document, setting out the history and policies of the two parties, formed the basis of discussions. Potential points of disagreement were explored and flagged for further debate.
Ngonyama said the country needed leaders who stood above party politics, like Desmond Tutu, who could act as troubleshooters.
”By taking this route, Godsell appears to have disqualified himself from this category.”