SACP’s longest-serving general secretary Blade Nzimande has praised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s handling of the Phala Phala farmgate scandal.
Nzimande instead took aim at former spy chief Arthur Fraser, accusing him of driving a “counterrevolution” to collapse the ANC and its government.
Nzimande broke his silence on the matter while delivering the political report to the 15th congress of the SACP in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
He said Fraser, who opened a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa for alleged involvement in covering up the theft of millions of dollars from his farm, is part of a so-called “fightback” associated with allies of former president Jacob Zuma.
It was for this reason, Nzimande told the plenary, that Ramaphosa must be praised for subjecting himself to a criminal investigation, saying Fraser must be condemned for misusing sensitive information.
He further questioned Fraser’s timing for lodging the complaint, saying it was suspicious that it coincided with plans to release the Zondo commission’s report which implicated Fraser.
“A certain official of government goes and lays a charge against the president of the republic saying money was stolen at the farm of the president,” said Nzimande.
“We welcome the fact that the president has said, let law enforcement agencies and other agencies of the state investigate this matter to the death ... so that if there is wrongdoing action must be taken.
“We welcome that as SACP, it is a breath of fresh air.”
Nzimande said Fraser was serving a faction and had “no intention to fight crime”.
Fraser, he charged, was part of the “state capture” beneficiaries whose backs were against the wall and would do anything to “fight back”.
This group, according to Nzimande, must also carry the blame for last year’s unrest in July in KZN and Gauteng.
“The intention is not to fight corruption, the intention is part of a counterrevolutionary fightback directed at dislodging the leadership of the ANC and its government.”
He said it was wrong of Fraser to use information he gathered, thanks to his government-sponsored spying skills, to fight against the leader of that same government.
