‘Don’t be down on Manyi’
ATM’s Veliswa Mvenya on party’s newest recruit
African Transformation Movement provincial leader Veliswa Mvenya has defended the party’s newest recruit and former president Jacob Zuma loyalist Mzwanele Manyi.
In an interview on Monday, Mvenya, who was critical of Zuma while she was a DA MPL, said Manyi could not be blamed for being the former president’s defender.
The ATM made headlines this month after former cabinet spokesperson and Gupta associate Manyi joined the party as its chief of policy and strategy.
Manyi announced his exit from the ANC at a press briefing, saying he was leaving the ruling party, which he had served for three decades, because the ANC had lost its moral compass.
Mvenya said as an ANC member at the time, Manyi was entitled to place his loyalty with Zuma.
“You are loyal to a person because you are in one organisation. In politics you have to be loyal to someone because politics is about trust.
“We can’t blame or we can’t beat him for being a loyalist of Zuma, and say he must be tied to Zuma,” she said.
Defending her position on Manyi, Mvenya argued that her own political allegiance had previously been to DA leader Mmusi Maimane.
“I am largely known as a supporter of the DA. Does that mean we should not move on?
“It doesn’t work like that. The past is past; democracy allows us to move on. If you are not happy, move to the next one.”
Mvenya joined the ATM in 2018 after she lost the DA provincial leadership job to Nqaba Bhanga.
Mvenya said the party, which was set to launch its provincial wing in March, was aiming for a 60% majority in the Eastern Cape.
“We definitely want to win the province. The Eastern Cape is the poorest province.
“We cannot allow the ANC to continue doing what it is doing to the people of this province.
One of the party’s controversial political campaign promises is the return of capital punishment. Mvenya said high on their list of priorities was the improvement of roads infrastructure, necessary for economic growth, and tackling youth unemployment.