South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has fired the Principal of the O.R Tambo School for Leadership, David Masondo for hosting academic Ibbo Mandaza’s explosive seminar exposing the rapid decline of democracy in Zimbabwe.
Masondo was replaced by David Makhura as head of its OR Tambo political school.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula tried to stop the lecture from happening seemingly because it would reflect on the recent disputed elections held in Zimbabwe.
The explosive lecture was held on 28 September.
Mbalula told the media that he should have been there too at Mandaza’s lecture to respond to claims that he was giving support to President Emmerson Mnangagwa who won the disputed Zimbabwean elections held on the 23rd and 24th of August.
Consequently, the ruling party leadership resolved to instruct the school’s chairperson, former deputy ANC president Kgalema Motlanthe and its board to remove Masondo.
Mbalula, however, denied that the talk involving Mandaza, was the reason for the removal of Masondo adding that it was just an alignment issue.
The secretary-general justified the appointment of Makhura saying he was a full-time deployee and was the ANC’s head of political education.
“But Makhura is the political commissar of the ANC, he is the man responsible for ideological thinking in the movement,” Mbalula said.
But Mbalula made it clear that he was not happy with the school for giving just Mandaza a platform and not balancing the lecture. The ANC politician wanted to respond to Mandaza’s claims.
“It must not be a propaganda tool, for one group, here in South Africa, that doesn’t like Mnangagwa as a president and Zanu-PF,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s elections were marred by numerous irregularities which forced the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to conclude that the plebiscite fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Zanu-PF leader Mnangagwa who is a close ally of both South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mbalula, emerged as the winner under controversial circumstances.
