African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma on Saturday denied meeting businessman Tokyo Sexwale to discuss the latter’s bid for leading the ruling party, as reported by Friday’s edition of the Mail & Guardian.
“We wish to place on record, however, that there have never been any discussions between Mr Sexwale and Mr Zuma regarding the ANC conference and candidacy thereof,” said Zuma’s private secretary, Nontokozo Luthuli, in a statement.
The M&G reported that Sexwale had declined to respond to information that he met Zuma to ask him for his assistance in elbowing out Cyril Ramaphosa from the party’s presidential race.
Sources in Jacob Zuma’s camp said Sexwale not only met Zuma at least three times last year to discuss his bid for the party leadership, but that he also asked for Zuma’s help in fighting off tycoon Ramaphosa.
Luthuli said Zuma’s office would not be drawn into discussing the content of the article and the “gross misrepresentation of the facts therein”.
“There would be no basis for such a meeting or discussions. This matter will be dealt with correctly by the structures of the movement at the right time, following correct and well-known procedures,” said the statement.
Zuma said caution should be applied to “the use of faceless sources that have questionable motives for spreading information which cannot be tested for authenticity”.
Sexwale welcomed Zuma’s “firm and decisive statement” on the issue.
“The statement confirms the fact that faceless sources have, again, been used to peddle mischief,” Sexwale’s spokesperson Chris Vick said in a statement.
“We restate our position that credible publications must be very cautious of being used in a distorted way. Whatever attempts are made to divide the leadership of the ANC, by faceless sources or whoever, will fail dismally.”