Only ANC must judge scandal
Party’s conference the correct forum
MINISTER in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe, should only be judged by the ANC national conference in December for his sex scandal that made headlines at the weekend, said spokesperson for his ANC presidential campaign, Sipho Masuku.
He was reacting to reports that Radebe had been exchanging intimate text messages of a sexual nature with a government photographer, Siyasanga Mbambani, 29.
Independent Media had been informed that Radebe’s campaigners met him in Joburg last night to discuss how they would deal with the matter, and continue to present him as a suitable person to lead the ruling party.
Mbambani was suspended from work in March for allegedly dressing in a seductive fashion in the presence of President Jacob Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa.
She had recently laid complaints of sexual harassment against Radebe. She alleged that he had SMSed her requesting nude pictures of her.
It had been reported that the texting and e-mailing between the two had begun in 2014.
Despite the scandal, Masuku said there was still strong belief that Radebe was “still a strong candidate for the ANC candidacy unless proven otherwise at the national conference”.
“All shall be tested by the national conference, and we remain adamant that we will put our candidate forward.
“Our candidate is one of the most respected leaders in the ANC and society,” he said.
Radebe’s camp would not attack Mbambani as “happened 10 years ago where a woman was turned into a perpetrator instead of being a victim”.
He was referring to Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, popularly known as Khwezi, who was castigated by Zuma supporters after accusing him of rape.
“We want to place on record that we condemn any form of violence against women or any form of masculinity displayed by anyone, including our own candidate,” Masuku said.
Radebe’s campaigners had not been fazed by the sex scandal, the exposure of which had been orchestrated within the ANC, he claimed.
Masuku said it was clear the “gloves are off” against Radebe. “(His opponents) are feeling the pressure, and as a result, they’d try to have a smear campaign.”
While other ANC presidential hopefuls former AU Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Ramaphosa had been criss-crossing the country, including addressing party activities in KwaZuluNatal, Radebe was yet to be seen campaigning. Masuku said.
He added that Radebe was observing the ANC national executive committee’s ban on party structures from debating party succession before it was officially opened.
“But now the gloves are off, and there are smear campaigns, which are forcing us to come out and start being open about our wish for the outcome of the national congress,” Masuku said.
Another Radebe campaigner, who would not be named, said Radebe’s supporters were concerned that he might be judged harshly by society at large although he had not broken any law.
“Time would tell if he can survive the issue of morality, but in these text messages there was no harassment. It was a consent (sic) between two people. There is nothing wrong that he had done in terms of the law,” he added.
Political analyst, Bheki Mngomezulu, said Radebe’s survival would depend on how much his supporters work on restoring his dignity.