Bishop Maumela airs his frustration with the ANC and its deputy president, David Mabuza

On Tuesday ANC member and Concerned South Africans (CSA) president Bishop Hangwi Maumela called a press briefing to update the media on the political war between himself and Deputy President David Mabuza. Bishop Maumela reiterated his remarks that the country cannot have a deputy president who is “a murderer”.

“Whatever I said, I said we cannot have a deputy president who is a murderer and who beats up people. We cannot have a government that is run like a spaza shop,” said Bishop Maumela.

Maumela said Mabuza, known to those in his circle as “DD”, was not fit to be deputy president of the republic and a dangerous man whose political enemies never live to see another day.

Bishop Maumela said the deputy president had eluded liability for the alleged murders despite many news reports linking him with the deaths of political rivals.

“We will not tolerate his nonsense because he is out of order. Cyril said he wants to root out corruption but corruption is thriving from among the current ANC leaders,” he said.

Bishop Maumela said there had been attempts on his own life. While he avoided mentioning Mabuza as behind such attempts, the bishop said Mabuza was a dangerous political opponent. He said after a meeting at the CSA offices in Johannesburg the car they were travelling in was involved in an accident with another car. Maumela said the occupants of the other car emerged from the wreckage with guns and started to shoot at them.

“We shot back,” said Bishop Maumela.

Asked if he was implying that Mabuza had ordered the claimed attack, Bishop Maumela said:

“I am not saying he hurt me or sent people, but I am saying many people who have crossed him disappear. Anyone who fights DD dies. When an allegation against you has been made in public, the fingered person should come out to clear their name. DD hasn’t bothered to come out and clear his name despite the numerous allegations of killings.

“He hasn’t taken all those reporters exposing horror death stories about him to court. We know who was behind that attack. I won’t seek legal recourse, I even told the police I will go to Venda and when I return everything will be fine.

“I don’t want to be followed around by DD’s people,” the controversial Bishop added.

Asked what evidence he had to back up his claims that the deputy president was murderous, Bishop Maumela cited a video which he posted on his Facebook page in which Mabuza was responding to questions just before the Decembers 2017 54th ANC conference in Nasrec. Apart from the video, there is nothing else that Bishop Maumela indicated he was basing his allegations on.

“The video is in the public domain,” he said.

“I did not speak about Mabuza’s name specifically,” he said.

When reminded that the country had only one deputy president, Mabuza said he could have been speaking about the deputy president of any organisation.

“He is the deputy president of the country, not the deputy president of one particular tribe. Everyone who has mentioned Mabuza’s shenanigans has died. You don’t disagree with him,” said Bishop Maumela.

He then called on the ANC to disband the Mpumalanga PEC. He added that this was highly unlikely as the ANC is scared of Mabuza.

“I’m not,” he said. On the defamation case laid against him by Mabuza, Bishop Maumela said he was ready.

“I am ready for it. I will not run away. I’m waiting.”

Maumela said the CSA was a civil society organisation aimed at fighting corruption and social justice, and to eliminate inequality within South African society.

The CSA’s Mosimanegape Mabote said:

“We want to march across the country in all nine provinces. We request the participation of all civil society organisations. There’s an outcry stemming from the lack of service delivery. We still have communal water supply system, pit toilets, poor health system.”

Last week Mabuza filed a defamation suit against Bishop Maumela at the Embalenhle Police Station in Mpumalanga. Mabuza is under pressure after the New York Times’s recent probe into his political operations. Mabuza believes that the allegations against him are unfounded and have never been put to the test.

Mabuza’s rise to the highest office in the country was met with mixed reactions after the ANC December elective conference which installed him as deputy president of the republic. A number of reports linking Mabuza with murders of political rivals in Mpumalanga have surfaced over the recent number of months, but the claims against him are yet to be subjected to a legal process to establish his guilt or innocence.

After his December ascendancy to the helm of the country alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mabuza has continued to be mired in controversy. In May, Jan Venter, a figure within the Mpumalanga political realm, slapped Mabuza with a second protection order. Venter also roped in Forensic Investigator Paul O’Sullivan to pursue criminal charges against Mabuza, central to which was a R10-million lawsuit instituted by Mabuza against his political rival Mathews Phosa. DM