Daily Dispatch

No good reason to back Mbete

ON Friday ANC MP Lulu Johnson and a former youth league president told this newspaper “it stands to reason” that Baleka Mbete has “been approached by some senior leaders to lead the ANC”.

This was because Mbete was “the most senior ANC leader by virtue of being a chairperson and she was once a deputy president of the country”, Johnson said.

This followed a visit by Mbete to Eastern Mpondoland’s Queen Lombekiso MaSobhuza Sigcau at Qaukeni Great Place a week ago.

That Mbete, who is also the National Assembly speaker, is entering the race for the ANC’s top job is no surprise. As early as last year she held a traditional ceremony at her Mqanduli village where her AmaHlubi clan blessed her campaign to take over from President Jacob Zuma.

But while Mbete’s position in the ANC may be a prominent one, her track record offers little to recommend her for such leadership. It is a list reflecting bad judgment, ethical compromise, an inability to command respect and arrogance.

Such behaviour predates Mbete’s tenure as speaker of parliament. She first achieved notoriety when she lied to a judge about having a driving licence when she had none.

In 2013, the US Securities and Exchange Commission began a corruption investigation after a US law firm concluded that a decision by Gold Fields in a 2010 BEE deal to increase Mbete’s stake to 10% (R25-million) came after threats were made by her representative and as such the payment constituted bribery. Parliament subsequently cleared Mbete of a breach of conduct on the grounds of not being “an MP in 2010”.

But the allegation of bribery was not the only problematic issue in the matter. A deal making one powerful political figure fantastically rich flew completely in the face of BEE objectives.

Then there is Nkandla. There were few who featured more prominently in the ANC’s sustained effort to protect the president than Mbete.

She repeatedly sought to shut down debate in parliament – thereby failing to uphold her mandate of impartiality. Worse, she repeatedly resorted to strong-arm tactics, calling in armed police to evict rowdy EFF MPs who wanted Zuma to “pay back the money”.

In one episode – the 2015 state of the nation address – an illegal communication black-out was also imposed, stopping those inside parliament from communicating with the outside world.

Signal jamming, it hardly needs to be said, flouts the most basic principals of constitutional democracy – of transparent, open and accountable government and freedom of expression.

This was not the only constitutional breach to occur on Mbete’s watch and in connection with Nkandla. The Constitutional Court found both Zuma and the National Assembly guilty of ignoring the Public Protector’s recommendation that Zuma repay part of the millions spent on non-security upgrades. Instead two ad hoc committees were appointed, both of which exonerated Zuma and excused him from paying back a cent.

For this Mbete was unrepentant. “I don't know who owes the Public Protector an apology as far as parliament is concerned… Our procedures are not being questioned by the judgment,” she said.

One thing Mbete did apologise for however, was referring to EFF leader Julius Malema as a “cockroach”. This took place at an ANC meeting.

But for a high profile figure such as Mbete to even make the reckless remark beggars belief.

Johnson might think there are reasons to trust Mbete with leadership of the ANC. But it is hard to see how such reasons could be good ones.