Former Minister of Police. PICTURE: GCINA NDWALANE
Former ANC Cabinet Nathi Nhleko has resigned from the ruling party, as widely reported yesterday.
The resignation follows an exchange with ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who had accused Nhleko of lying to Parliament in defence of the then president Jacob Zuma during the Nkandla upgrade inquiry.
In May 2015, Nhleko said Zuma did not have to repay the state a cent for the R246 million upgrade of his private home, in a 50-page report which sets out a security purpose for all the features deemed luxuries by the public protector at the time, advocate Thuli Madonsela.
He said a fire drill was held, and the rescue services arrived more than an hour after they were summoned. This, coupled with low water pressure in the rural area, meant that the most effective way of fighting a potential fire was pumping water from the pool. Really?
Likewise, the amphitheatre on the homestead served as an emergency assembly point for the Zuma family and for security briefings in case of an emergency, he had said.
Nhleko can resign all he wants, or differ with Mbalula, but he should come clean on the pool.
Without making such disclosure, his resignation and utterances speaks of an aggrieved cadre who feels “his comrade” Mbalula spilled the beans on him.
Speaking of cadres, Nhleko’s resignation coincides with the cadre deployment matter that has been in the news since the DA won a court case forcing the ANC to share its policy on the matter.
Cadres will always expect fellow cadres to keep their “secret” under wraps, and it goes without saying that the DA has some cadre employment stories of its own.
The party has shipped senior officials from one municipality, and at times Parliament, to other areas to occupy top positions.
Simply put, no party is simply going to put people in positions who don’t subscribe to its policies.
But cadre or not, Nhleko owes the nation an explanation on that Nkandla skeleton.
Pretoria News
kennedy.Mudzuli@inl.co.za