Hanekom says loss for Ramaphosa at Nasrec would have been a disaster

Former tourism minister Derek Hanekom says had president Cyril Ramaphosa not won the ANC's 54th electoral conference it would have been a “disaster” for South Africa.

Hanekom, who made the statements on Twitter, was referring to the electoral conference which took place at Nasrec in 2017.

He said a victory for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma would have been “disastrous”.

While the statement was his own opinion, former home affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete slammed Hanekom.

According to Tshwete, the “insult” suggested that the comrades thought “very little of each other”, adding that there needs to be a social media policy in the ANC.

“Let us lead if it’s defeating you,” he added.

Continuing jabs 

This is the latest in Hanekom's criticism of Jacob Zuma and his allies.

Hanekom and Zuma have gone head-to-head several times in the past few months after Hanekom admitted to having met the EFF in 2017 to, allegedly, discuss a vote of no confidence in then-president Zuma.

Hanekom confirmed Malema's claims of meeting with the EFF but denied conspiring to remove Zuma.

“People of different parties have coffee with each other all at time. He is making something big out of nothing,” he said at the time.

Zuma reacted to the claims on Twitter by saying he was not surprised, as Hanekom was a “known enemy agent”.

This then resulted in Hanekom suing Zuma for R500 000 over the allegation.

Hanekom said Zuma’s claim had caused “immense harm and damage” to his reputation, harm that would continue as long as “this statement remained published without censure”.

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