ANC says state resources are being used to discredit Ramaphosa
Gwede Mantashe says factions within the ANC are trying to discredit rivals ahead of December’s conference
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has called on factions within the party to refrain from using state resources in smear campaigns designed to discredit rival presidential candidates. His remarks come days after ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa made headlines over alleged extramarital affairs with several women. Ramaphosa has admitted to one affair and said state resources have been used in a "smear campaign" against him. Mantashe claimed that the e-mails being used as proof of the affairs were doctored and he suspected government intelligence staff were involved. "All we can say about state institutions being used is that we hope we don’t degenerate to the level where the National Party was, because that was the beginning of the end. If we go to the conference in December and people begin to be personal and use all of the dirty tricks‚ you must appreciate that it’s not the dirty tricks that are important ... it is the destruction of [the] essence of politics and the ANC." He...
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