Vytjie Mentor.
Conrad Bornman, Gallo Images, Rapport, file
- State capture whistleblower Vytjie Mentor has joined Herman Mashaba’s political party
- Mentor left the ANC to join the ACDP in 2019.
- Mashaba said he was proud to have her join his soon-to-be born party.
Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor, who turned state capture whistleblower, has joined Herman Mashaba’s political party which is set to launch in August.
In a statement on Thursday, The People’s Dialogue founder said Vytjie would bring a great deal of experience and knowledge to his new political party, adding in their discussions, she had expressed her dedication to being involved in the party.
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Mentor, an experienced legislator who chaired the ANC caucus and Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, left the ANC in 2019 to join the ACDP.
She was in the spotlight in March 2016 when she claimed the Gupta family had offered her a post as a minister. Besides talking about state capture and the Marikana shooting in her book, No Holy Cows, she also detailed her alleged experience of the extent of sexual harassment in the ruling party.
Mentor testified at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture and was later cross-examined.She took issue with several records that were put forward against her testimony, including those of SAA and the Department of Home Affairs.
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“For all of this, Vytjie has witnessed the true nature of the ANC and its criminality. She has suffered the vilest threats and even attempts on her life for her act of bravery and yet she stands unafraid and committed to South Africa.
“These are the kind of people we want to have in the ranks of our new political party – truly dedicated South Africans dedicated to rooting out the looting in our government,” Mashaba said.
He added over the coming weeks, “we will continue to announce other prominent South Africans who are joining the ranks”.
“Our new party is being joined by over 1 000 volunteers on a daily basis now, and South Africans are coming forward in their numbers to be a part of this new political alternative. We have been overwhelmed by the response and the daily requests for membership forms.”