Former finance minister, Tito Mboweni died an unhappy man following the establishment of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Photograph; Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)
According to a Sunday publication, the recently-appointed Bapedi traditional prime minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi has shared some of his last conversations with former finance minister, Tito Mboweni.
Mboweni, sadly died following an undisclosed illness in October 13 this year, just five months before his passing, he had a post GNU conversation with his fellow ANC leader and former minister, Ramathlodi.
The two leaders seem to share their views on what would have been the recently constituted Government of National Unity (GNU) and they both seem to agree that the arrangement was nothing but a front for the advancement of the DA white monopoly agenda.
In his last word in a text message between themselves, Mboweni is reported to have texted:“Good morning. I said it on Sunday, I am saying it again:DA is the ruling party and ‘Cupcake’ [President Cyril Ramaphosa] is a front, live with it ANC members Ziyakhala Kwamlungu Village.”
In what seems like a back and forth text conversation between Ramathlodi and the departed former finance minister, the two senior ANC members seem to agree that GNU is a DA driven agenda that has long been negotiated before the May elections.
Ramathlodi also seems to agree saying the ANC’s decision to form the GNU was akin to giving power back to white people while saying his late friend agreed with him.
The two refer to Ramaphosa as Cupcake“ in their conversation.
“I have seen it already. It was plotted a long time ago. Checkmate,” Ramathlodi responds.
This is not the first time, Ramathlodi has revealed that Mboweni was not happy with the GNU.
“He died a very unhappy comrade. We used to spend a lot of time discussing issues facing the movement and our country. In particular the fate of the national democratic revolution,” Ramathlodi said during Mboweni’s funeral two months ago.
Its also not the first time, the GNU government has been criticised.
In recent months, since the May elections, the South African Communist Party Secretary General, Solly Mapaila has been the most vocal critic of the DA led GNU coalition which has characterised as a “sell-out” settlement.
In July, in his one of his public remarks said it would have been better to have been irritated by the EFF or the MK Party as they are a better fit to co-govern with the ANC adding that the ANC was 'pushed to the corner' during GNU negotiations.
In September, Mapaila was at it again saying: “The ANC is a consequence that right now even respects all non-entity political parties, including this party of the PA. They have more respect for that party than their own allies. They (the ANC) listen more to the DA than they listen to its allies. For instance, we can put it on the table here.
“We did discuss Cabinet. We rejected this minister taking over education (Nosiviwe Gwarube). We were not listened to because a deal was made. The DA and Steenhuisen said they bargained hard. Yes, the following day after the announcement of Cabinet, he came out and said: ‘We bargained hard and we are represented in 12 clusters of Cabinet. No single alliance partner here can say we are represented in all clusters of Cabinet.’“
This past week, IOL reported DA federal chairperson Helen Zille said should her party leave the GNU, the country would be unstable because there would be an ANC, EFF, and MK Party coalition which would destroy South Africa’s economy within a week.
Zille claimed that the ANC, EFF, and MKP coalition was by preferred by deputy president Paul Mashatile.
Zille made the remarks during an interview on Face The Nation last Tuesday while responding to a question about how GNU would be without the DA.
“The amount of disinvestment, international revision of the approach to South Africa, we will be kicked out of AGOA as well, we must understand the stakes here,” she said.
Attempts to get comment from the ANC and the President’s office were unsuccessful at the time going to print.
Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya referred The Star to ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri who had not responded at the time of going to print.
The Star
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