ANC NEC member Fikile Mbalula has shrugged off allegations that he sold out at the 2017 Nasrec elective conference.
Addressing party members during the Oliver Tambo memorial lecture at Sinethemba High School in Philippi, Cape Town on Sunday, Mbalula said he was accused of being a sell-out after switching from Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s camp to Cyril Ramaphosa’s.
“I was in the camp of mama Nkosazana and we were defeated heavily and Ramaphosa was elected. After that, I stood up and addressed our delegates.
“I told them we came with Nkosazana, but we are going back with Matamela. I told them he had been elected the leader for all of us,” said Mbalula.
He said he stood by the principles he was taught growing up in the party and members must not insult their leaders.
He said he was taught that you should always support elected leaders, whether you like them or not. “Some say Mbalula is a sell-out because he is going with Ramaphosa, but a sell-out is a person who doesn’t know that when the ANC conference elects a person to be leader, you must respect that person,” he said.
“When former president Jacob Zuma was elected in Polokwane, I supported him as part of the collective and it was a difficult time. He was accused of a lot of things and I stood with him because he was the leader of the ANC.”
The event was also attended by Uzalo actor Thuthuka Mthembu and The River star, Siphesihle Vazi.
