EXCLUSIVE: Sisulu denounces discrimination against thriving black business

The daughter of late ANC leaders Walter and Albertina Sisulu reflected on various issues including her plan to reconcile the former presidents of the ANC. Picture: Yandisa Monakali/DNS

The daughter of late ANC leaders Walter and Albertina Sisulu reflected on various issues including her plan to reconcile the former presidents of the ANC. Picture: Yandisa Monakali/DNS

Published Apr 22, 2021

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Durban - Human Settlement, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu spoke exclusively to the Daily News at her home in Pretoria.

The daughter of late ANC leaders Walter and Albertina Sisulu reflected on various issues including her plan to reconcile the former presidents of the ANC.

She spoke against elements of discrimination by dominant figures in the country that owned financial institutions, including the banks.

She blamed some leaders of aiding the country’s oppressors by giving them ammunition to discriminate against black people and sabotage black businesses. “I denounce the indirect blacklisting of black thriving businesses. It is totally wrong and we as leaders of the country must attend to this,” said Sisulu.

Speaking about her 2012 project to clampdown on corruption, she said: “I am against corruption and will not tolerate anybody involved in any irregularities. I have released a few chief executive officers and they have taken me to court but failed in their bid to oppose their removal. Those who are hoping to overturn my decision can expect the same court outcome as they are on the wrong side of the law.”

Sisulu added that other boards in the country, including Amatola in the Eastern Cape, have been dissolved and replaced with people capable to work and ensure that these entities function.

She also spoke about how she had intervened and brought positive changes in the Vaal area where there were issues of blocked water pipes.

Commenting on the previous ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting, which she was part of, Sisulu said she was disappointed with how the party had handled the meeting. As a senior member of the party, she said she had to apologise for the disintegration of the meeting.

Sisulu said the NEC should have drawn lessons from the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee. She emphasised that the “step-aside” resolution would be disastrous because it would further divide the movement.

“If this resolution is not in good faith, it will breed no peace but divisions that may be irreparable.”

She added the ANC’s document, “Through the Eye of the Needle”, should have been employed for vetting leaders. She said the ANC would not be in the situation it was in because the document was designed not only to vet ANC leaders, but also assess even the state of the party, and check patterns of capture.

She believed the document would have made it easy to identify elements seeking to weaken the ANC. Sisulu said she would not rest until former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki found a way to resolve their differences.

“It breaks my heart seeing that two great leaders of the former liberation don’t see eye to eye. I have therefore undertaken a process to unite these legendary leaders of our movement.”

She indicated that Zuma had always been willing to unite with his former comrade, but with everything happening at the State Capture Commission, she decided to allow Zuma to focus on the commission before attending to the reconciliation matter.

Sisulu added that Mbeki had also shown willingness despite previously expressing disappointment in how the ruling party mistreated him.

Speaking on his administration, Sisulu expressed gratitude for Mbeki acting like a big brother who was always supportive. However, the minister felt it was wrong for him not to acknowledge and give recognition to the state intelligence officers, who at the time worked tirelessly to protect the country

“Those guys are the best at what they do. There are many confidential cover projects we were involved in and did our best to protect the sovereignty of South Africa.” Sisulu said that part of her work when she was intelligence minister was to gather intelligence and protect the country from any possible invasion. She believes that she did her best during her tenure.