Former uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) president Kebby Maphatsoe was greatly hurt by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma “without trial”.
This was revealed by former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo when he addressed hundreds of mourners at Maphatsoe’s funeral yesterday (Sunday).
Maphatsoe died on August 31 after suffering cardiac arrest in his sleep.
Mahumapelo told mourners about his last conversation with Maphatsoe, on August 28, and among the issues of concern to him was the jailing of Zuma.
Maphatsoe gave him 8 commands to follow, and one of them was that his “comrades” must never allow people to be jailed again without trial like Zuma, he said.
“He is hurt by people being jailed without trial. He said those things should never happen again in a democracy. It was done during apartheid,” Mahumapelo said.
But according to Mahumapelo, Maphatsoe’s first command to him was that they should ensure to do everything possible to “concretise” the unity process of MKMVA and the uMkhonto weSizwe National Command Council.
The two rival ANC military veterans groupings were disbanded in July to allow it to have a national conference ahead of its 60th birthday on December 16.
Maphatsoe had also tasked him to speak with other military veterans such as Leon Mkhabela who is reportedly opposed to the disbandment of MKMVA by the national leadership of the ANC, Mahumapelo said.
He also launched a veiled attack on Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula who had in the past levelled corruption allegations against Maphatsoe.
The tiff between Mbalula and Maphatsoe erupted after the minister terminated several security contracts at Prasa; some of them were allegedly linked to Maphatsoe.
Mahumapelo said Maphatsoe was hurt by these allegations, saying no case was opened against him.
“We need to deal with these matters. These allegations of corruption first emerged in the media and then populated to the public and he was depicted as corrupt. The intention was that he should be shunned by society,” Mahumapelo said.
Political Bureau