Magwenya has 'parachuted himself into a political party internal matter', says Sisulu's office

Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s office has launched a scathing attack on presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.

“For someone claiming to speak on behalf of the head of state to ignore this and choose to be a propagandist to boost his principal's political fortunes is a scandal of monumental proportions,” said spokesperson Steve Motala.

The attack follows comments made by Magwenya at a press conference in Cape Town on Friday, where he called out ministers who publicly criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa instead of using official channels.

“There’s a reality that some individuals may project their own failures onto the president. The president does not work alone, he works with a team of people and when somebody that is part of that team says the president has failed, they may very well be projecting their own failure within that team and not necessarily the failure of the president,” he said.

Magwenya, who was asked to respond to criticism by Sisulu in an SABC interview, said: “The expected professional decorum is that should they have any concerns about their work, the president and the state of various matters about the country, they will address those issues directly to the president.”

On Saturday Magwenya would not be drawn on responding. 

Motala said Sisulu’s office had noted Magwenya’s response to calls that Ramaphosa must step aside pending the outcome of an investigation into the Phala Phala scandal.

“Before making such outlandish remarks, Magwenya would do well to familiarise himself with minister Sisulu’s impeccable track record in all government portfolios she has occupied.

“Minister Sisulu wants to put it on record that her criticism of president Ramaphosa is purely motivated by his poor performance as ANC leader. In fact her criticism is not unique. President Ramaphosa’s three predecessors have publicly expressed disappointment with his performance as president of the ANC and the country.”

Motala added Sisulu “found it strange that Magwenya, in his capacity as president Ramaphosa's spokesperson, can parachute himself into a political party internal matter”.

He said the reason Sisulu was contesting against Ramaphosa in the ANC elective conference in December is “precisely this dismal performance by president Ramaphosa as head of the ANC that has seen the party disbanding all its leagues representing an essential aspect of its ongoing existence.

“The minister deplores that the ANC, as a party under president Ramaphosa's leadership, has failed to take the adopted resolutions seriously. Under his leadership, the movement finds itself in the proverbial intensive care unit,” said Motala.

He accused Ramaphosa of running an administration that “entrenched the nonpayment” of staff and showed no “care about the plight of its workers”.

“The myriad clouds hanging over president Ramaphosa's head are also not doing the ANC any favours and are inflicting incalculable reputational damage on the movement.

“The president's personal challenges, in which Phala Phala 'farmgate' stands central, have almost irreparably damaged the image of the ANC and cannot be treated as a non-issue. To have a sitting president accused of such horrible crimes does not bode well for the ANC.

“The president has refused to take the ANC into confidence on this matter, seeing this as his issue, while the ANC suffers undeniable reputational damage for his actions or inactions,” Motala said.

“This ANC elective season affords ANC nominees and contenders the privilege of engaging in ANC leaders' performance with the organisation's health and mandate as central.

“Therefore, Magwenya must explain why he, as a government spokesperson, finds comfort in straying into organisational matters on an ANC election, albeit in his capacity of SA's presidential spokesperson.

“To mitigate any further damage to the ANC, minister Sisulu reiterates her call on Ramaphosa to lead by example and step aside, pending the outcome of investigations into the Phala Phala scandal,” said Motala.

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