Vytjie Mentor dies after long illness

Former senior ANC MP Vytjie Mentor died on Tuesday morning after a long illness, Action SA leader Herman Mashaba said. She was 58.

“Vytjie had been ill for some time and this morning her family called to inform us that she had succumbed to her illness after being hospitalised for several months,” Mashaba said in a statement.

Mentor was among the first politicians to appear before the state capture inquiry, where she gave testimony about how former president Jacob Zuma allegedly tried to recruit her as a pliant minister through the Gupta family. However, she gave inconsistent testimony before the Zondo commission.

She served as an ANC MP and was chairperson of the public enterprises committee. Mentor joined ActionSA nearly two years ago, jumping ship from the ACDP, to become its Western Cape chairperson.

Mashaba said: “She was a true patriot who served her country even in the face of criticism.”

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