A dramatic confrontation unfolded on Monday at Luthuli House, the headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC), pitting Gauteng ANC chairperson and Premier Panyaza Lesufi against party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. The clash centred around Lesufi’s perceived criticism of the government of national unity (GNU) – a coalition government involving the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The confrontation, sources within the Gauteng ANC provincial executive committee reveal, began with a phone call from Mbalula to Lesufi. This call, far from being a conciliatory effort, was characterised by what insiders describe as blatant threats. Mbalula's confidence, according to these sources, suggested he believed he had Lesufi cornered.
“You are trying to be Solly Mapaila, and we do not want another Solly Mapaila in the ANC,” Mbalula allegedly said, referencing the South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary, a known critic of the GNU. The alleged tirade continued: “Who do you think you are? I’ll show you who I am. Why are you saying all these things about the GNU?”
Lesufi, reportedly taken aback by Mbalula’s aggressive tone, nonetheless sought clarification on the nature of his supposed transgression. Mbalula, however, offered no specifics, only a veiled warning of impending consequences. This ominous phone call was followed by a formal letter summoning Lesufi to Luthuli House.
The meeting on Monday saw Mbalula leading the charge against Lesufi, accusing him of publicly criticising the GNU and demanding an explanation. Lesufi, however, refused to back down, challenging Mbalula to provide verbatim quotes.
Mbalula attempted to substantiate his claims by playing clips from an interview Lesufi gave to podcaster Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh. However, Lesufi countered, pointing out that the clips presented an incomplete and therefore misleading picture of his comments. He highlighted his role on the committee tasked with shaping the GNU’s development and functioning, questioning the logic of his being simultaneously criticised for critiquing it.
Lesufi clarified that his concerns stemmed from his dissatisfaction with public criticism of the ANC and its decisions by DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille. This explanation, however, appeared to leave President Cyril Ramaphosa unconvinced. Ramaphosa, according to sources, expressed his lack of understanding regarding the issue, ultimately granting Lesufi permission to depart.
Insiders at Luthuli House revealed that Mbalula’s accusations were based on manipulated social media clips from the Mpofu-Walsh interview.
“Mbalula just got clips of the podcast between Lesufi and Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh. He did not watch the whole podcast. Someone, maliciously and mischievously, sent him snippets of what Lesufi had said about the GNU,” a source explained.
These snippets, it's understood, were then circulated within an ANC WhatsApp group, creating a misleading impression of Lesufi’s stance.
Attempts to reach Lesufi for comment proved unsuccessful, and Mbalula declined to comment on the matter. However, in a media briefing on Tuesday, Mbalula presented a markedly different narrative, claiming a strong relationship with Lesufi and denying any tension between them. He stated that Lesufi had been invited to present his perspective, and his explanations had been accepted.
