Nathi Nhleko leaves ANC, slams Mbalula’s ‘bankrupt thinking’

Former police minister Nathi Nhleko has left the ANC weeks after his spat with secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.

In a letter addressed to Mbalula and President Cyril Ramaphosa, among others, Nhleko slammed Mbalula for the comments about the ruling party protecting former president Jacob Zuma and how Nhleko “sweated” through the lies.

“In the recent attack mounted against my person by Fikile Mbalula about what he called ‘my sweating’, ‘the fire pool narrative’ and what he called were ‘lies to protect the former president’. He closed his attack by stating that ‘people lost their careers because of this thing’, consequently and regrettably, I resign from this ANC as its current values and principles are not aligned to mine,” wrote Nhleko.

ALSO READ: ‘There was no lie I was telling’ – Nhleko slams Mbalula, says fire pool comments implicate Ramaphosa too

“This demonstrates the bankruptcy, lunacy and the defunct manner of thinking by the secretary-general, which has unfortunately defined the barren form the ANC has undertaken.”

Like Zuma, Nhleko said he could no longer recognise the current ANC.

“The ANC as a liberation movement spoke and acted strongly on good ethics; a collective approach; was people focused and emphasised on humanity and freedom for all. However, it is deeply sad and painful to see the organisation that I loved dearly turning into something I can no longer recognise.”

On Tuesday, Mbalula slammed one of Nhleko’s reasons for leaving the ruling party as a “cheap way out”.

He said: “I see Nathi Nhleko has resigned from the ANC and he blames it on me. What a cheap way out. This fellow told the whole country that a swimming pool is a fire pool, wait till I tell you what he advised me to do at a handover meeting.”

Comment from the ANC had not been received at the time of publishing.

Nhleko vs Mbalula

In January, Mbalula sparked an outrage over comments that members of the ruling party had lied and said Nkandla’s swimming pool was a fire pool.

Mbalula said in part: “We formed an ad-hoc committee in parliament on Nkandla and said a swimming pool is a fire pool. Then minister of police was sweating in that committee because kunzima xa uthetha ubuxoki [it’s difficult to defend lies].”

ALSO READ: ‘We have protocols’ – Mbalula hits back at Mantashe for comments on Zuma and Nkandla

Mbalula was heavily criticised by South Africans and fellow cadres including ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe and Nhleko, who rubbished his sweating comments.

Nhleko said the African National Congress (ANC) or police ministry were not qualified to make determinations on any body of water – including the Nkandla fire pool.

Speaking to Xoli Mngambi on Newzroom Afrika, Nhleko said: “I did not know that Mbalula is now a psycho-analyst, but it’s a terrible suggestion to suggest that because I was sweating, I must have been lying. In fact, that’s what he said.

“There was no lie I was telling, it’s a different case that I was sweating and I wouldn’t want to entertain that rubbish. No story was cooked up.”

Fire pool or swimming pool?

Nhleko said no-one from the ruling party or police ministry made the determination that the body of water at Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead was a fire pool.

ALSO READ: ‘Have your head checked’ if you think Mbalula’s fire pool comments is admission of lies

According to Nhleko, it was the engineers who referred to the body of water as a fire pool, due to a report revealing that the water supply in Nkandla would be insufficient in case of an emergency.

“The African National Congress and Police Minister have no competency to make a determination that a swimming pool is a fire pool,” said Nhleko.

“The work undertaken at the time was about the security features and there are about four issues outstanding identified by parliament through its ad-hoc committee.

ALSO READ: Mbalula’s admission ANC lied about Zuma’s Nkandla fire pool ‘an insult to constitution’

“When I came in, there was already this kind of report and instruction by parliament that a minister of police needed to make a determination around those four areas, one of which was the question of the fire pool.

“The fire pool did not come with me as a minister of police or anybody else, except the group of engineers, who, in assessing the potential emergency situations around the homestead, made an analysis and said the water available within the homestead was a problem, it wasn’t sufficient.

ALSO READ: #TBT: Nathi Nhleko insists ‘firepool’, cattle kraal and chicken coop are security features

“They then said we needed an open water source. That’s where the issue of the fire pool comes in – it defines a open water source as a fire pool in the report, as a reliable water source in terms of an emergency.”

‘I don’t sugar-coat issues’

However, Mbalula threw the rule book at Nhleko and said he was well aware of ANC protocol and, as a member, knew not to ventilate his concerns in public.

“If I was Nathi Nhleko and somebody says that I was on a platform sweating and explaining a lie, and it hits in my skin, I would react the same.

“Depending on modesty, and what kind of person you are, if you are a cadre of the ANC you will call the SG and say ‘I did not expect you to say that’.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘ANC defended Zuma for Nkandla, but he can’t stand Ramaphosa’ – Mbalula

“I was not addressing a media conference, I was talking to ANC supporters, and when I talk to ANC supporters and members, I don’t sugar-coat issues.

“His remarks are unfortunate.”