The free-spoken African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has blasted former Police Minister Nathi Nhleko for a “bitter” resignation letter, saying “What a cheap way out.” Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency(ANA)
Outspoken African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has blasted former Police Minister Nathi Nhleko for his “bitter” resignation letter, saying: “What a cheap way out.”
Nhleko resigned from the ANC a month after his fallout with Mbalula after secretary-general said the ANC had lied to parliament about the Nkandla report to protect former President Jacob Zuma.
Nhleko sent a seven-page long letter to the national office and his regional branch in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), criticising the ANC and Mbalula’s leadership which led to his decision.
“I resign from this African National Congress as its current values and principles are not aligned with mine,” he said.
In the letter, Nhleko said he could not recognise the ANC he joined, the ANC whose only aspiration was to liberate the people.
“The ANC as a liberation movement spoke and acted strongly on good ethics, a collective approach, was people focused and emphasised on humanity and freedom for all,” he said.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mbalula said: "I see Nathi Nhleko has resigned from the ANC and he blames it on me, What a cheap way out. This fellow told the whole country that a swimming pool is a fire pool.
“He replaced a competent police officer Anwa Dramat crime fighter with an apartheid disastrous erratic cop called Berning Ntlemeza whom I showed the door to immediately when I took over as police minister."
In addition, he said: “Wait till I tell you what he advised me to do at a handover meeting.”
Mbalula said Nhleko strutted like a peacock, calling his "shameful" Nkandla report as "research".
"No shame at all this guy was reprimanded for that report by the highest court in the land," he said.
According to the secretary-general, the report was set aside by the Constitutional Court in the "famous" judgment delivered by Judge Mogoeng Mogoeng.
"Indeed our revolution did produce villains," he stated.
Nhleko slammed Mbalula and described him as the worst secretary general in the ANC’s 112-year history.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
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