“Tony Yengeni is nothing else but a political casanova.”

This was the dig ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula aimed on the liberation celebration’s veteran Tony Yengeni on Monday morning in Cape Town, when Mbalula introduced that the convicted fraudster could be disciplined by the celebration.

Mbalula, chatting with the media forward of the ANC birthday celebrations and rally on 11 January, mentioned Yengeni, together with former member of Parliament Obed Bapela, could be hauled earlier than the celebration’s disciplinary committee for bringing the celebration into disrepute.

“He [Yengeni] is spewing vagrant political views and views that are embraced by a few malcontents who are opposed to the ANC. He will be charged. I have informed him through an SMS. We will bring him before the disciplinary processes of the ANC so that he explains himself in terms of his membership of the ANC,” Mbalula mentioned partly.

“Tony Yengeni [and] Obed Bapela will be charged this year, by the ANC disciplinary hearing… and others who are almost drunk in the early hours, tweeting, they too will be attended [to] very soon.”

Ostensibly, Yengeni is being disciplined for cosying as much as Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and near-constant maligning of the ANC’s formation and participation within the so-called authorities of nationwide unity by way of his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Bapela incurred Mbalula and the ANC’s wrath after allegedly misrepresenting the celebration’s stance on Western Sahara throughout a private journey to Morocco in October final 12 months.

Bapela purportedly gave Moroccan officers the impression that he had been despatched by the ANC to bolster ties between Rabat and Pretoria, a place at odds with the liberation celebration’s relationship with Morocco resulting from its “continued colonisation of Western Sahara“.

Yengeni’s charging, in contrast to Bapela’s, was certain to occur, with barbs traded over time within the media and on X. And this isn’t the previous ANC chief whip’s first brush with attainable disciplinary motion.

In 2021, then-ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte mentioned Yengeni, together with Ace Magashule and Carl Niehaus, confronted the opportunity of showing earlier than the celebration’s disciplinary committee after they accused – with out offering proof – the ANC management of utilizing state levers to persecute Zuma.

“The national working committee [of the ANC] condemned the unbecoming, divisive and defiant behaviour of comrades secretary-general Magashule, Tony Yengeni and Carl Niehaus during the recent court appearance of former president Jacob Zuma. The NWC instructed the national presenter to look into these breaches of discipline and to investigate charges in line with the ANC constitution and code of conduct,” the now-late Duarte said on the time.

Mbalula vs Yengeni: A historical past of violence

In June 2023, Mbalula jabbed Yengeni by alluding to ANC veteran’s previous points with alcohol.

Mbalula – talking on the ANC Western Cape convention – was addressing Premier Alan Winde’s feedback relating to the arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant of arrest for the Russian chief.

In his speech, Mbalula mentioned: “I don’t know with which police he [Winde] thinks he can arrest Putin [with]. He thinks these traffic cops who arrest Tony Yengeni for drunken driving can arrest Putin? He’s playing.”

The following month, Mbalula – in a speech rebuking EFF chief Julius Malema – once more took purpose at Yengeni by labelling him “ungovernable” and once more introduced up the problems with alcohol.

“We were in a house when we taught Julius [Malema] economic freedom. I was with that ungovernable Tony Yengeni when we taught him [Malema] economic freedom. And that day Tony Yengeni was sober. Very sober,” mentioned Mbalula, eliciting laughter from the gang.

Yengeni didn’t respect Mbalula’s feedback and on 17 July 2023, responded angrily on X.

“I’ve never said anything negative about Mbalula in public… Never! If Mbalula has nothing positive to say about me, then he must keep my name out of his filthy mouth,” mentioned Yengeni.

Yengeni accuses Mbalula of intimidation

Fast-forward a 12 months later to July 2024, when Yengeni accused Mbalula of making an attempt to intimidate him after Yengeni represented Zuma at his ANC disciplinary listening to.

Zuma, who has since been expelled from the ANC, was going through misconduct expenses emanating from his founding of the MK Party.

Yengeni, who was representing the previous president within the disciplinary proceedings on the time, instructed SABC News that he had obtained a textual content from Mbalula asking him who he thinks he’s and accused him of making an attempt to destroy the ANC by representing Zuma.

Long-standing feud?

And it appears Yengeni and Mbalula’s acrimonious relationship shouldn’t be a current improvement.

When Mbalula underwent the Xhosa ceremony of passage to manhood, it was rumoured on the time that Yengeni was behind organising the method, albeit by way of alleged trickery and a few gentle kidnapping.

“There were claims that he was coerced into attending the initiation school by ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni and others,” the IOL reported on the time.

Do you suppose Mbalula vs Yengeni will ever be resolved?

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