Johannesburg - A love and politics battle is playing out at Luthuli House following Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s ex-lover, Norma Mbatha, who last week opened a case against Mashatile’s adviser, Keith Khoza.
Mbatha’s case of defamation and violation of the Protection of Personal Information (Popi) Act stems from what she said was a violation of her rights after Khoza hit her with a restraining order on behalf of Mashatile.
Mbatha also wrote to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula in a bid to “gain protection from Khoza”.
Responding to questions from The Star on Sunday, Khoza said: “The matter is in court, so I can’t speak about it now. I hope, as the media, you’ll understand that.”
In a stunning discovery yesterday, The Star found that Mbatha, who is said to have been Mashatile’s lover for many years, was also linked to former president Jacob Zuma.
In July 2018, Mbatha, as chairperson of a forum called the Izwi Labantu Forum, invited Zuma as a guest speaker at their event at Silverstar Casino in Krugersdorp.
Mbatha was known to be close to Zuma. In the same year, Mbatha supported Zuma as he appeared in court in Pietermaritzburg on the reinstatement of his arms deal charges.
Mbatha was also an ANC Joburg Ward 126 candidate for the position of councillor.
The sudden public focus on Mashatile’s personal life is said to be linked to “a plot to oust him from his position in government”. Murmurs have been circulating in the media throughout the weekend, and Mashatile’s camp, which is adamant about keeping him in his position, is fuming.
According to reports, President Cyril Ramaphosa may be behind the plan to oust Mashatile. Mashatile’s nemesis, former national executive committee member Carl Niehaus, says he thinks Ramaphosa and those around him want Mashatile out.
“Yes, there are those around Ramaphosa and possibly even Ramaphosa himself who want to oust Mashatile. To my mind, this does not make Mashatile a victim. He has been part of these scavengers all along and has been part of the Alexandria Mafia. He’s a thug among thugs, but scavengers do not like to share the spoils with other scavengers, and this is exactly what is happening now. And that is why they are trying to get rid of Mashatile.”
“And if he now falls victim to other thugs and the Mafia, he does not deserve any sympathy. It simply means that there’s no honour among thieves,” said Niehaus.
Sources inside Luthuli House claim that Ramaphosa’s camp is attempting to overthrow Mashatile before next year’s national general elections.
Mashatile is believed to be close to Julius Malema and the EFF, and if Ramaphosa were to exit before the election, there would most likely be a coalition government and the country would fall under the umbrella of the ANC and the EFF.
Ramaphosa’s faction believes that the country will be better off under him, and the DA is opposed to Mashatile and the EFF.
Ramaphosa is said to be meeting the DA in pre-coalition talks. Their plan is to remove Mashatile before the elections.
“Mashatile is seen as a threat to DA dominance. He has no time for DA chairperson Helen Zille and party leader John Steenhuisen. He won’t work with the DA in any way.”
“Ramaphosa’s funders, which are the same funders of the DA and ActionSA, don’t want the ‘risk’ of the Mashatile presidency. There is an actively funded movement inside and outside the ANC to oust Mashatile,” the sources revealed.
In an article in another paper, Mashatile said he was aware of the people who wanted him out, but did not name them.
The Jacob Zuma Foundation said it would respond to the matter of the “links” between Zuma and Mbatha at a later stage.
Mbatha told The Star: “I’m not chatting to media.
Ramaphosa stated there was “no truth or substance” to accusations of party divisions, particularly with relation to his NEC, Mashatile, and others, when speaking with the media on Sunday outside of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting.
Ramaphosa tweeted: “I appoint the Deputy President. No one else can remove him. There is no plan to this effect.”
The Star