Star News Online
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
Businessman Tokyo Sexwale has rejected as "kite-flying" reports that he had been asked to run for the position of ANC president.
"The articles are spurious," he said through spokesperson Chris Vick yesterday. "They are kite-flying, nothing more than a red herring, and we treat them with disdain.
"It is predictable that such articles will be published in anticipation of this year's ANC conference, even though the true nature of the ANC's election procedures is well known. We also take a dim view of attempts to misuse the name of senior and respected members of the ANC in an attempt to substantiate these reports. We have no further comment," Vick said.
Weekend reports said that Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya and Minister of Arts and Culture Pallo Jordan had approached Sexwale to become ANC president.
ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said he had spoken to the three men, who all denied that they had met with Sexwale.
"Everybody has got a right to stand (for the presidency) - it is written in the (ANC) constitution, but with regard to the individuals concerned, we are not sure, because they spoke to me to say they knew nothing about the meeting.
"It is rumour. This year is going to be an interesting year and we can't stay under the illusion that there is not going to be rumour and speculation out there . . . but I must say that we are looking at the process very, very seriously," said Ngonyama.
Earlier, ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe seemed to lash out at Sexwale when he accused people who made themselves available for the presidency of trying to improve their profiles by using the "media and TV so that people can recognise their faces again", in an apparent reference to Sexwale's starring role in The Apprentice.