SACP urged to read Pauw book
Nzimande says it is ‘telling the truth’
FORMER higher education minister Blade Nzimande yesterday called on SACP supporters to read Jacques Pauw’s book, The President’s Keepers, which he said detailed the use of intelligence agencies against people who had differing views to some ANC leaders.
Nzimande was addressing a Red October rally at Clermont in Pinetown, outside Durban.
He referred to Pauw’s book saying “half of its content is what the SACP had been complaining about”.
“The SACP is very concerned about the use of intelligence services against the leaders of the party. We have been aware of at least half of the claims in Pauw’s book. Go read that book, because it is telling the truth.
“In fact, South Africans should stand up because if this thing is not dealt with, our country is going, not only for us as leaders, but also for you as citizens.”
Nzimande also described a plan to introduce free education across the board through a controversial funding plan apparently devised by President Jacob Zuma’s one-time future son-in-law‚ as impractical.
Morris Masutha is a former boyfriend of Thuthukile Zuma. Earlier this year he proposed the government introduce free higher education to students whose parents earned a combined annual income of R350 000.
Asked to comment on Masutha’s plan, which media reports said Zuma had been considering for adoption and implementation, Nzimande said it was “unworkable”.
Nzimande said before he was fired as minister, he had seen the document from “this young man”. He advised Masutha to present his proposal to the Heher Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education, along with others who had ideas on how to bring about free education.
“I also asked him to go and interact with my officials in the department. It is good when young people have ideas, but it was an unworkable proposal.”
Higher Education officials allegedly rejected the idea as they feared that it would plunge the country into chaos as it excluded students at technical colleges. Masutha then drafted a second version, with them also benefiting.
Nzimande said he had not seen the Heher report, as Zuma had not shared it with him.
“I did not see it even when I was still minister,” he said.
He had discovered from the first wave of #FeesMustFall protests in 2015 that there was a plan to fire him from the cabinet.
“I noted I didn’t have the support I thought I had in the government. Actually, some of my comrades were part of instigating this thing.”
He said he suspected that intelligence was used to support the plot to fire him.
Nzimande described the relationship between the SACP and ANC as having broken into small pieces, and said the SACP would leave the alliance if the ANC’s December conference failed to elect a proper leader.
He didn’t name the leader he wanted to be elected, but it is known that the SACP, Cosatu and Sanco had endorsed deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma.