They're his 'personal views' - ANC on Thabo Mbeki vs Zindzi Mandela

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe on Monday said the governing party would not be drawn into commenting on former president Thabo Mbeki's call for action to be taken against SA's ambassador to Denmark, Zindzi Mandela.

Mabe was briefing the media outside the Johannesburg Central police station after opening a case of incitement of violence and crimen injuria against Afrikaner nationalist Steve Hofmeyr, who, in a tweet, threatened violence against Mandela and DA MP Phumzile Van Damme.

Mabe said Mbeki's calls for action to be taken against Mandela were his "personal views", and were not sanctioned by the ANC.

"We are here to open a case, not to promote or speak against sentiments of anyone, even if they are former leaders of the ANC," said Mabe.

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"Former president Mbeki was expressing his own views. He did not ask the permission of the ANC before he raised his views, so we cannot share our views on sentiments that were not bounced off us before being uttered.

"We are here opening the case on behalf of the party. Any other member of the ANC who speaks, whether former leaders or not, they are doing so on their own accord," he added.

Mabe said the ANC wanted the case against Hofmeyr to show that inciting violence and racial tension in the country will not be tolerated.

Said Mabe: "We are concerned about rising racial tensions and that is why we want this case to be exemplary. We want this case to be used to consolidate the renewal that we have been talking about and to unite our people."

Mabe said the ANC would monitor the progress of the case weekly.

Meanwhile, Mabe slammed the DA for being "no longer aware of which complaint they raised" with public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This following reports that Mkhwebane had expanded her investigation of the alleged R500,000 donation to the CR17 campaign by controversial company Bosasa to include money laundering. 

"You cannot raise a complaint today and tomorrow want to chicken out on a complaint you raised yourself," said Mabe adding that the ANC national executive committee was yet to sit to formulate a view on calls for parliament to probe Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office.