A major falling out between friends spilt over in public this week with the announcement that former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina will face charges for defying the ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC).
Masina’s long-time ally and friend TK Nciza, now the party’s provincial secretary, announced on Thursday that Masina will face the music for defying a PEC instruction not to table a motion of no confidence against the DA Ekurhuleni mayor, Tania Campbell.
Insiders told the Sunday Times this week that the developments followed a spat between Masina, Nciza and human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile. They said Masina was aggrieved that he had supported Nciza and Maile in the power struggle at the ANC’s provincial conference in June but they had not returned the favour.
Sources close to Masina said cracks started to show in the friendship when Nciza and Maile did not lobby for him to be accommodated in premier Panyaza Lesufi’s new executive council.
“There’s an ANC national conference coming in December where Mzwai [Masina] wants to run for treasurer-general [but] he feels betrayed by his province for not endorsing him,” one Masina confidante said.
Comrade Mzwai is not fazed because he has been nominated by at least 1,000 branches across the country, despite the betrayal by people he delivered at the provincial conference
— Masina confidante
“But comrade Mzwai is not fazed because he has been nominated by at least 1,000 branches across the country, despite the betrayal by people he delivered at the provincial conference, so he is running his own programme.”
The source said Masina’s former friends in the PEC had charged him over the motion of no confidence because “they feel he is a disturbance to their agenda”.
Masina declined to comment.
Nciza said allegations that he was plotting Masina’s downfall were far-fetched. He declined to comment further, saying he respected his friendship with Masina. Attempts to reach Maile failed.
The Sunday Times understands that by Saturday afternoon Masina had not been served with the charges against him, and is planning to cite the delay as “unfair process”.
Masina is also in trouble for preventing the EFF from taking control in Ekurhuleni despite an agreement between the red berets and the ANC PEC to that effect.
An ANC insider in Ekurhuleni defended Masina, saying he had not himself brought the motion for a no-confidence vote. “It was his deputy, who is head of the ANC caucus.”
This source said Masina objected to the PEC agreement with the EFF, under which Julius Malema’s party would have gained control of Ekurhuleni in return for helping the ANC win control of Johannesburg.
“He is adamant that the dynamics of the two cities are different and that they should be treated as such, so trading off Ekurhuleni was a big ‘no’ for him.”
Insiders close to Nciza said the provincial secretary believed Masina was using him as a scapegoat after his bid for nomination as national ANC treasurer-general fizzled.
“[Nciza] feels Masina is angry because his campaign is not finding expression in branches. TK is not pleased that Mzwai wants to use their friendship to force him to interfere with branches, a power he does not have,” one source said.
“Mzwai’s excuse that they betrayed him is a desperate attempt to blackmail the provincial secretary. It is the branches of the ANC that deliver, not a provincial secretary. So comrades must run their campaigns without expecting favours and stop looking for scapegoats.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.