Opinion by Thamsanqa Milela- I have seen in many occasions our lovely leaders being ill-advised by those who are close to them, we can count as many leaders as possible from the days of the release of President Mandela, still to date i don’t know why he had to dump uMama Winnie.
I love President Zuma comrades, friends and family many can attest but to have had appointed a member of an opposition party to ANC as his advisor, right-hand man and Spokesperson, this has never sat well with me for many times since its inception.
Yesterday i saw a letter purported to be from the “Office of the Deputy Convener” of the ANC in the Free State IPC, comrade Sisi Ntombela.
I don’t know who advises Mme Sefora Ntombela politically but they have fumbled this time around, they have put Mme Sefora under the bus and this is going to cost her towards the Provincial Conference of the ANC in January as per the newly Secretary General comrade Fikile April Mbalula has alluded that it shall sit in January immediately after the celebration of the ANC 111th year anniversary which will be hosted in the Free State.
Prior to the National Conference, comrade Sefora was seen to be pro-Zweli with her alliance towards the comrades in the province, whom blatantly and without any fear or favour rallied behind comrade Zweli Mkhize for President candidate, something which is not wrong as we are members of a democratic organization which allows us to have different views towards each and every elective conference of the ANC.
There was never anywhere she would declare her support either to President Cyril Ramaphosa or comrade Zweli Mkhize despite some of his supporters, this is also not wrong as she doesn’t have to prove herself to anyone about her preference.
The allegations against her were normal and expected from any leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, National Chairperson and an NEC member have been reported as we speak to Election Commission to be investigated for the said to have used money to lobby for delegates to vote for them, hence i am saying it was normal as all those who differs with preferences towards any conference would do the same with their opponents as there are no rules in war and conference it’s war of leadership positions on its own.
Those allegations are not even the first ones, she took a pic with some comrades who were publicly supporting President Cyril Ramaphosa for the 2nd term, that’s when allegations started by those who were said to be supporting her for Provincial Chairperson of the ANC position in the Free State that, she has now jumped the ship, she is a sellout and they will meet her at the upcoming Provincial Conference.
🟥UPDATE🟥 Free State Premier Sefora Ntombela rejects reports that she dispersed money to delegates at the recent ANC national elective conference held in Nasrec, Gauteng province from 16 – 20 December 2022. pic.twitter.com/v2LTchJyAr
— Central News (@fscentralnews) December 28, 2022
Why she didn’t issue a statement to condemn this or is it because President Cyril Ramaphosa has won and therefore she doesn’t mind being associated with him through allegations like allegations are that she was supporting comrade Zweli and has issued statement to condemn that?
The answer for that will be the topic for another day, now the main point around allegations and her statement…
🟥UPDATE🟥 Free State Premier Sefora Ntombela rejects reports that she dispersed money to delegates at the recent ANC national elective conference held in Nasrec, Gauteng province from 16 – 20 December 2022. pic.twitter.com/v2LTchJyAr
— Central News (@fscentralnews) December 28, 2022
Allegations were made just 2 days in the National Conference, after a picture of her with the former Secretary General comrade Ace Magashule were circulated that, she was seen dispersing money to delegates to vote for comrade Zwelini to be the ANC President.
It’s not like those who are close to her didn’t see those allegations at that time, it’s not like they didn’t see her pictures with former SG circulated with alleging captions on them, it’s not even herself was not aware of the allegations at that time…
My question is one, why Mme Sefora Ntombela didn’t rubbish the allegations at that time or she was still on the fence to see who is winning and later claim to have contributed in the win of comrade Zweli Mkhize should have he ascended to be the President or was waiting to see President Cyril Ramaphosa returns like he did and now claim to have been on his side all along?
Either answer to this question are both political own goals to her to be the Provincial Chairperson towards the upcoming Provincial Conference of the ANC…
1. Those who were supporting her and comrade Zwelini, will no longer support her because they feel betrayed by her from the Nasrec when she took pictures with those who were known to be staunch supporters of President Ramaphosa and that today she has issued a statement claim to have been on the side of the President all this time.
2. Those who were supporting her and President Ramaphosa, will no longer support her because they feel she was on the fence towards Nasrec as they believe if the allegations were not true, right there at that time, she should have rubbished the claims and declare her support for President Cyril Ramaphosa before even the elections would start.
3. The statement on its own was the political own goal because it makes her an apologetic leader who cannot stand her grounds, because if her statement was genuine, it wasn’t supposed to wait for the results of the Conference as now it is seen as if she is singing for her supper to President Cyril and sympathy to comrades in the province.
4. The statement was not supposed to be biased in rubbishing allegations towards certain support and leave the other, because she should have stayed neutral like she has been prior to National Conference and also ridiculed the allegations that she has sold out after she was with comrades who were supporting 2nd term and declare it publicly that she was actually not supporting anyone.
5. The letter makes her looks like an opportunist who waited to see before who wins between President Cyril Ramaphosa and comrade Zweli Mkhize.
Time and space is very important in politics, it seems she has missed that very much key point and her close allies in using time and space correctly.
I am saying this because even in the ANCWL which was always her stronghold, she seem to have lost support and this is going to make her political path very bumpy moving forward.
It was earlier said 65% of delegation went to National Conference from Free State were supporting President Cyril Ramaphosa and were marshalled without fear by Provincial Convener comrade Dukwana who is also contesting the Provincial Chairperson position towards Provincial Conference, that leaves other 35% which was so sure to support either her Mme Mantombela or comrade Trotsky and now it.
means by that letter which lacked time and space understanding of political context, she has lost that 35%.
We love our leaders but they sometimes lack a good political support, comrades who understand balance of forces, dialectics, strategy and tactics, time and space in order to be able to calculate political risks before any decision making.
I love Mme Sefora Ntombela as a mother, leader and an ANC Deployee but she has scored an own goal with that statement and comrades from both factions will no longer trust her!
She will have it hard way towards a Provincial Conference that has 3 weeks before it starts and by the look of things, she has lost support already by both allegations at Nasrec and the last nail in her coffin was that biased statement.
I remain Thamsanqa Milela who is an ANC member in good standing, i am writing this on my own capacity…
For the record, I reject that apology by a Murderer( Fw De Klerk) and pray God doesn’t forgive him also! – Thamsanqa Godfrey Milela
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