ANC unfazed as ‘lying, sweating’ Zuma police minister Nhleko leaves the party

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula had no kind words for former police minister Nathi Nhleko, who criticised the governing party in his resignation letter.

This week a resignation letter — apparently submitted by Nhleko to the ANC — topped trends on social media. The letter read: “It is deeply sad and painful to see the organisation that I loved dearly turning into something I can no longer recognise.

“The trend of gradually dismantling state-owned enterprises and subsequently privatising them covertly is exemplified by the situation at Transnet. Transnet transport volumes exceeded 220-million tonnes in 2018, by 2022 this figure had dwindled to nearly 170-million tonnes.” 

Nhleko was police minister during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure. He defended Zuma during the Nkandla upgrades scandal and told parliament research from his department concluded a pool at Zuma’s home costing more than R3m was a fire pool and not a swimming pool. The Constitutional Court found the government irregularly used public funds to upgrade Zuma's home.

After five years of not being appointed to key government jobs, Nhleko seemingly resigned because of Mbalula.

In January, Mbalula said Nhleko and the ANC lied for years to defend Zuma from scrutiny. He said Nhleko was “sweating” during a heated debate over Nkandla in parliament because “it was difficult to defend a lie”. 

Reacting to Nhleko's resignation, Mbalula 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.

“Indeed our revolution did produce villains.

“Nhleko is strutting like a peacock calling his shameful report on Nkandla ‘research’. No shame at all. This guy was reprimanded for that report by the highest court in the land.” 

Mbalula said Nhleko suspending then Hawks boss Gen Anwa Dramat in 2015 was one of the missteps he made as a minister. 

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