'Mbalula is not a boy!' Gwede Mantashe hits back at Ace Magashule

ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe has hit back at former ANC Free State strongman Ace Magashule, who on Friday called newly elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula a “boy”.

“From where I am seated, comrades, Mbalula is not a boy. He is the secretary-general of the ANC,” said Mantashe. He was addressing the ninth ANC Free State provincial elective conference at Imvelo Safari Lodge in Mangaung on Saturday.

The much-anticipated event was scheduled to start on Friday but was disrupted by a group of party members who stormed the registration venue, bringing the process to a halt.

In his opening remarks, Mantashe congratulated the province on its 2022 matric results.

Regarding Mbalula, Mantashe was referencing utterances by Magashule before he appeared in the Bloemfontein high court.

The former ANC secretary-general said Mbalula was among those he groomed for politics: “He comes from Botshabelo. In the '80s, he was one of the boys I was looking after and he is still a boy.”

Magashule said Mbalula even reached out to him to try to repair their tarnished relationship.

Defending Mbalula, Mantashe said: “What is happening in education shows us what is possible in the Free State and it is not happening. The Free State is a very important province, strategically located, and its influence, if it can graduate to what it should be, could influence the entire country.

“I hope this conference helps us to start anew and appreciate the potential we have here. I don’t know how many of you know that this province produced president Zaccheus Mahabane, who was the president of the ANC twice. This province ... gave us president James Moroka. That reflects on the standing of the Free State in the ANC.”

But, said Mantashe: “This is not a gift, it’s a role you earn, and with the behaviour I am witnessing here, you will have to work double hard to regain that influence.

“This province has given us a secretary-general and we must appreciate that. There is no boy.

“When I mentor a young man and see him as a young man forever, it does not say something about the young man. It says something about me. It means I [am at] a cul de sac because I must be able to produce people to grow and take over from me and become my leader. [By doing that], I am playing my role as a leader.”

Regarding arriving in the Free State to open the conference, only for it to be disrupted, Mantashe said: “That is why I thought it was important for us to pray before we start. You Free State people need prayer. Nothing else. Nothing else can help you.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to close the conference on Sunday.

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