Do we really care if Trevor Manuel has not renewed his ANC membership?

By: Clyde N.S Ramalaine

Powertalk eNCA TalkShow Host JJ Tabane recently indulged in a conversation about who played any or some role in forming the political party Congress of the People (COPE). More than three weeks after Tabane’s interview, where he unreservedly and defiantly mentioned names of key ANC politicians, there was no comment from those mentioned. Those mentioned included Thabo Mbeki, Trevor Manuel, and Tito Mboweni. Pun intended, you could forgive one for thinking one needed certain initials of TM if you had to be part of the original crew, at least if we stick with the Tabane version. In contrast, not one of those mentioned responded to Tabane.

It, however, now appears it was NEC and NWC member Lindiwe Sisulu’s hand-delivered letter to the President in which she asks him to investigate these claims, given the standing of Tabane at the time of COPE’s formation that unearthed the recent publicity of Trevor Manuel. Sisulu contended that there are those in the ANC today who pretend to be the moral beacons of the organisation’s discipline. The same who parade as such is includes Thabo Mbeki when there is this Tabane’s claim. Equally so, in its role and functionality of independence, the ANC Integrity Committee needs to be reviewed for its factional tendencies to conclude in findings on certain people and its absence of interest when it comes, in particular, to those who are CR22 propagators.

The formation of COPE is perhaps one of the most public secrets of its time in history. It is reasonable to contend that key ANC leaders participated in its formation and the secret talks to ensure its existence. The issue of for whom it was formed is also no secret. Can we now accept it as a record that COPE’s existence is directly linked to the politician Mbeki and his third term interests? He’s losing a third-term bid at Polokwane ultimately resulted in COPE.

Yet, that was not the start of the COPE because in the uprun to Polokwane, the rumour mill ran thick on a break-away party if Mbeki did not win. It is not different from 54^th Conference held at Nasrec in December 2017. In the uprun to Nasrec, we knew that should Ramaphosa not emerge, strong allegations of a break-away party also did the rounds. Strangely some who were associated with COPE back then were again at work this time with Ramaphosa as the epicentre. After the Sisulu presidential letter, which must also be understood as a necessary intervention despite those who claim we must let COPE’s history lay with the bones of the deceased. The reality is that the spirit of COPE formation lives in the  ANC, and it lives through individuals who find nothing wrong with betraying the organisation for patronage and personality interest. Often the same individuals who parade as the moral authority on ANC membership, order, and unity are intrinsically and toxically linked to factional self-serving and personality politics.

Unfortunately, COPE’s spokesperson Dennis Bloem, who Thursday in a Steven Groottes interview pretends to be the expert on Trevor Manuel’s bona fides, also had nothing to say for the balance of three weeks since Tabane’s original claims were made. Bloem took his aim at Tabane through an official Media Statement. “If people want to campaign got top positions, let them find other better ways than spread malicious rumours. We urge all those who make these wild and unfounded allegations to come to the fore with proof.” Tabane’s unofficial response to Bloem in a private chat: “not even going to bother he [Bloem] joined some six months way after cope ship sailed.” [sic] Bloem, while first rubbishing the claims of Tabane, sang a slightly different tune when Groottes asked him directly if there is anything Tabane possibly knows that Bloem does not. He conceded there might be some things Tabane knows.

Following the official Bloem statement, Trevor Manuel started responding to JJ Tabane. The gist of Manuel’s response is his emphatic denial that he was part of those who contemplated and participated in the forming. In his first salvo, Manuel argued his integrity was being attacked by Tabane’s statement and threatened legal action that details a call for retraction and apology. This threat of legal action did not shake Tabane, who told Manuel he might proceed with his legal action since he would meet him with a vigorous rebuttal. Tabane had to deliver no later than Wednesday, May 11. Let us hear Tabane in his response to Manuel’s legal action threat. “Dear Trevor, I received your letter of 9 May. I was interviewed on the Hustlers Corner and was asked a question relating to the formation of Cope. I responded to this question and nothing in my answer was defamatory, contrary to what you allege. I, therefore, stand by that answer and have no intention of withdrawing it or making any apologies as demanded by you. If you choose to take any legal action, I will defend it vigorously. Yours in Truthly.”

Manuel thus gave the second round of media statements this time. He would share with SA and the world that he is not a member of the ANC since former Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe referred to him as an agent. He angrily denied and again threatened legal action this rime with Thursday, May 12, as the deadline. Manuel also did not miss the opportunity to lean on his usual crutch of the ANC Polokwane Conference. On Thursday, in a radio interview with 702 News Anchor Bongani Bingwa, Manuel told us:  “I am not a member of the ANC now. Gwede Mantashe declared me a free agent when I suggested that Zuma must pay for upgrades at Nkandla. He had no right to deal with members in that way. From that point, my interest in ANC fizzled”

Maybe we must tell Trevor Manuel we don’t care if he is a member of the ANC today. He is and remains the signpost of “Coloured” identity benefit from ANC politics from the days of Mandela.

I will contend he still benefits as if he is an ANC member with superb deployments of envoy status, among others. Why does he not disown any reference to him as ANC leader? Rather convenient, I think.  Why did Trevor not tell the world what he is telling us that is not an ANC member?  Why is it now essential or of material concern to share this information, and in whose interest is this done?  Politics deceptively leads that under Mbeki, the ANC was a heavenly organisation. That they were true to transformation and the revolution. Shall we deduce it needed JJ Tabane to get him to spit his old tired Polokwane entitlement politics bile? The rehashed Polokwane narrative, which in my view, details utter hogwash because he oversaw the legal escape of billions in disinvestment from SA to London, from where he later would be rewarded handsomely in samples of Old Mutual chairperson status and Rothchild boards.

Today, he acts as a moral authority and political analyst-come-prophet on ANC governance and leadership of SA when he comfortably served under Zuma, whom he and others with hips tied to Mbeki conveniently want to blame for everything disingenuous. I could have taken Trevor Manuel or any of his cohort seriously if he, back then, as he now claims out of convictions, had declined to serve in the first term of a Zuma-led ANC. His integrity did not lead him to say I cannot fit in this man’s cabinet since I do not share his objectives for a future SA. They will tell you they helped SA, which again is a hollow and convenient statement because they don’t own the wrong of the ANC but outsource that to Zuma.

The irony with Trevor’s comments today is that he genuinely believes his integrity is derived from himself to the exclusion of the ANC. When it is a matter of historical and public record, the ANC under a Mandela’s leadership recognised him because of his apartheid and post- Apartheid social identity and ethnicity of being Coloured.

We all know that when Nelson Mandela appointed him to the first democratic cabinet, it was not because of his integrity or anything but the undeniable need to include “Coloured” demographics. He was not remotely the best qualified and didn’t have the experience. So to pretend it was his integrity is to be farcical.

In my soon-to-be-released Ph.D. research work, “South Africa’s State-Led Race-Based Social Identity Construction: A Critical Assessment. Chapter four engaged this “Coloured” identity benefit that Trevor, Cheryl Carolus, and a slew of others in both public service benefitted from when they wanted to pretend they arrived in those positions by themselves. So, Trevor, I am not interested in whether you today are a member of the African National Congress. This is the hypocrisy of note. Please deal with Tabane’s most recent claim that you can go your legal route. He will meet you in court. Don’t deflect your threatened legal action when Tabane told you and your Wednesday, May 11, deadline to play in the traffic. It is a matter of public record that Thursday 12, May is now the new Manuel deadline.

Mr Manuel, I implore you to please stop the cheap deflection in jaundiced ANC Polokwane cheap politics. Give effect to your legal threats and let Tabane defends his case clearly. Your threat, until executed, remains a public relations stunt. Trevor Manuel remains the signpost of ANC’s’ Coloured’ identity opportunity and economic benefit with or without membership.

While Tabane’s interview forms the base of serious allegations, it is the intervention of NEC and NWC Members Minister Lindiwe Sisulu. She continues to initiate copious and relevant subject matter that since her January 6 statement, “Hi Mzansi have we seen justice yet…” continues to set the tone for an SA discourse. For this reason, I  wish to advance that had it not been for the letter of Sisulu addressed to the President, the Tabane interview may never have attracted any further comment.

*Clyde N.S  Ramalaine

Political Analyst and Commentator