'An announcement to make an announcement': Manyi slammed over 'new political home' tweets
Former government spokesperson and owner of the erstwhile ANN7 news channel and The New Age newspaper, Mzwanele Manyi, is poised to jump ship from the ANC.
Manyi took to social media on Saturday night to announce that he had a big announcement to make later in the evening. This big announcement turned out to be an invitation to media to attend a briefing on Wednesday, at which he said he would announce his “new political home” and his reasons behind this.
In the wake of his tweets on Saturday night, Manyi took flack, with many criticising him for what was called an "announcement to make an announcement".
Stop wasting our time with zero announcements pic.twitter.com/bO4Q7RrZQL
— Jabulile Maqungo (@Jaybee8611) January 5, 2019
It’s like calling a meeting to set up another meeting....no decolonisation here
— Vusi (@TheShangaanGuy) January 5, 2019
One of those who reacted to Manyi’s pending big announcements was Mbhazima Shilowa, Manyi’s former ANC comrade and one of the founders of COPE, itself a break-away party from the ANC.
Shilowa lashed out at Manyi, who he claimed always advised against leaving a political party because of differing views - and rather encouraged changing it from within.
So my friend and comrade @MzwaneleManyi who always spoke against leaving a party that you think has deserted your thinking but rather to change it from within has now realized that such only happens in fairytales. I can not wait to see what his back to the future is. New Dawn
— Mbhazima Shilowa (@Enghumbhini) January 6, 2019
If Manyi announces a new political party, it would come shortly after another former media player - former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng - unveiled a new party last month.
Motsoeneng’s party is the African Content Movement.
At a media conference, Motsoeneng said he was confident that his party “would rule South Africa”.
“I want to be president. That is the bottom line,” he said.