Former minister of finance Tito Mboweni.
Image: Phando Jikelo/IndependentNewspapers
Former mining minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi has slammed the African National Congress, also revealing private text messages between himself and Tito Mboweni, where the late former finance minister expressed that President Cyril Ramaphosa was a front for the Democratic Alliance in the grand coalition arrangement.
Ramatlhodi spoke at Mboweni’s funeral in October, revealing that the former Reserve Bank governor died an unhappy man. At the time, he would not reveal what Mboweni said, out of respect for him.
The former minister revealed the text messages to the Sunday Times this week, with the texts apparently showing Mboweni saying to Ramatlhodi:
“Good morning. I said it on Sunday, I’m saying it again: DA is the ruling party [and] Cupcake is a front. Live with it, ANC members. Ziyakhala kwa mlungu village.”
Cupcake is a reference to Ramaphosa, who was referred to as cupcake by a woman he had apparently been having an affair with, in a leaked email, the after Sunday Independent reported in 2017.
In the apparent text messages, Ramatlhodi concurred with Mboweni, adding that “they planned it long time ago. Checkmate.”
Former president Thabo Mbeki, who was also not allowed to speak at Mboweni’s funeral, also said the former minister died unhappy about the state of the ANC and the country.
This reflection follows remarks made by Mboweni’s close friend, former public service and administration minister, advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi, during Mboweni's funeral.
The voices of Ramatlhodi, Mboweni, add to a growing number of ANC leaders who have criticized the party for forming a coalition government with the DA. Other prominent leaders in the ANC who have questioned the DA-ANC grand coalition, include the SACP’s Solly Mapaila, Panyaza Lesufi and the Gauteng ANC executive, among others.
Ramatlhodi slammed the GNU as tantamount to returning power to those who oppressed black people, warning the ANC would suffer because of the arrangement.
“In 1994, we were not handing back power to our former rulers — currently we have done that, and it is going to tear us apart. The ANC in particular is going to suffer big time. I’m not a prophet, but the ANC is going to pay the price,” Ramatlhodi was quoted as saying.
The ANC is facing mounting pressure, particularly from the MK Party, as former president Jacob Zuma’s political outfit continues to make significant steps in recruiting high profile political leaders around the country.
The ANC is also facing pressure internally, as the SACP has threatened to contest the 2026 elections after publicly condemning the ANC for working with the DA in the GNU.
The SACP has several ministers and deputy ministers in Cabinet, who could find themselves in a pickle should the ANC and the SACP not find common ground on the matter.
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