NEWS & ANALYSIS

Manyi, Mngxitama don't represent 'black agenda' – Pityana

They only interested in advancing Gupta's interests, says long-serving ANC member

Manyi, Mngxitama don't represent 'black agenda' - Pityana

16 September 2016

Johannesburg - Decolonisation Foundation leader Mzwanele “Jimmy” Manyi and Black First Land First leader Andile Mngxitama were only interested in advancing the Gupta family’s interests, Sipho Pityana has said.

“A blatant and transparent agenda to advance the project of the Gupta family, quite specific, quite transparent, quite blatant,” Pityana said of their motives during an interview on Thursday.

Transferring South Africa’s resources from whites to Indians in India was not an agenda for the advancement of blacks in this country, he said.

Manyi, a former government spokesperson, this week told Tim Modise on his Soweto TV show that the Decolonisation Foundation was considering pursuing treason charges against Pityana. He said Pityana’s calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down were tantamount to a coup d’état.

Pityana said Manyi didn’t understand South Africa’s democracy and his comments were ignorant.

“We uphold free speech, free expression, and as it were we can say the emperor is without clothes. The emperor we have in Zuma is definitely without clothes. He must vacate. One with clothes must come in.”

The anti-apartheid struggle hero surprised many during the funeral of former sports and recreation minister, Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile, last month when he called for Zuma’s resignation. He said Zuma had no credibility and was not fit to continue leading South Africa.

He started lobbying different groups, including business and religious organisations, to join the call for Zuma to step down. The time of writing letters to editors had come to an end and more decisive action was needed, he said.

This article first appeared on News24, see here