By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: TMF.
Former president Thabo Mbeki has rubbished EFF leader Julius Malema’s claims that he was plotting with former spy boss Arthur Fraser to unseat President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Malema made the allegations about Mbeki on Wednesday, without providing evidence.
He said Mbeki was working with Fraser when he opened a criminal case in June alleging Ramaphosa tried to cover up a burglary at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
“RET forces of the ANC have never in jubilation celebrated Fraser, including on the Phala Phala allegations. They have never declared Fraser as a hero and used Phala Phala as a way of decampaigning the president. That is why it was difficult to raise it in the policy conference of the ANC, because it was not their initiative,” alleged Malema.
“They are asking themselves whose agenda Fraser is driving. The answer is Fraser is with [former] president Mbeki in the unseating of President Ramaphosa, because Mbeki says he is still disgruntled for not finishing his term [as president]. Fraser is actually working with Mbeki and not the RET forces.”
The Thabo Mbeki’s Foundation said: “Mr Mbeki rejects Mr Malema’s scuttlebutt with the contempt it deserves. He is certain that it originates from old apartheid intelligence machinery. It is intended to deepen divisions within the ANC and to frustrate efforts towards the organisation’s renewal.”
Malema claims that Mbeki was keen on seeing Ramaphosa fall and was looking at making a comeback to lead the ANC.
Last month, Mbeki took a swipe at Ramaphosa at the memorial service of ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, saying he failed to make good on his promise on a social compact to address the living conditions of South Africans who are faced with the reality of soaring joblessness and social inequality.
Mbeki also indicated that he feared an Arab Spring-like uprising in South Africa.