classic Fikile Mbalula moment that’s got Mzansi in stitches, the ANC Secretary-General has poured cold water on whispers that mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe could just waltz into the party’s top job. “You can’t just wake up and say you’re running for ANC presidency because you have money,” Mbalula quipped during a recent media briefing, sparking a wave of LOLs across social media. 🤣
The jab comes amid growing speculation about Motsepe’s political ambitions. As Africa’s richest Black man and a long-time ANC donor, Patrice has the deep pockets—estimated at over R200 billion—but Mbalula insists that’s not enough. “He doesn’t even know which branch he’s a member of!” the SG laughed, highlighting the grassroots grind required in the ANC’s structures. It’s a reminder that in the liberation movement, leadership isn’t bought at the bank; it’s earned through years of branch meetings, door-to-door campaigning, and navigating internal factions.
Motsepe, who once served as Public Investment Corporation chair and is brother-in-law to President Cyril Ramaphosa, has stayed coy on presidential talk. But with the ANC facing its toughest elective conference yet—plagued by coalition woes post-2024 elections—his name keeps popping up as a “unity” figure. Critics argue his business empire ties make him too elite for the party’s workerist roots, echoing Motsepe’s own past frustrations with ANC infighting.
Mbalula’s blunt takedown underscores a deeper truth: ANC power flows from the branches, not boardrooms. Will Motsepe plug into a local structure and prove the doubters wrong? Or is this just another billionaire fantasy? For now, Fikile’s got the last laugh—money talks, but branches walk