Kgalema Motlanthe

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Kgalema Motlanthe is a prominent South African political personality and is currently the Deputy President of the African National Congress. He was elected to this position at the 52nd ANC national conference in Polokwane, beating the Mbeki camp's choice of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Motlanthe currently resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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[edit] Early life

Motlanthe grew up influenced by the revolutionary ideologies of the Black Consciousness Movement which was led by Steven Bantu Biko. He was detained by Apartheid Government in 1977 the year after the infamous 1976 Soweto student uprising at the age of 28.

In 1976 he was detained for 11 months for pursuing the aims of the liberation movement African National Congress. He was later sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Robben Island. Shortly after his release he was elected Secretary-General of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). In 1997 when politician-businessman Cyril Ramaphosa retired from politics, Kgalema was elected Secretary-General of the ANC.

[edit] Political view point

Motlanthe has been the only ANC leader who has risked his political reputation by publicly defending sacked Deputy President Jacob Zuma in the face of widespread allegations of corruption against Zuma. Motlanthe is a former trade unionist who has support across the ANC-led tripartite alliance. Many in the ANC describe him as an independent thinker who is not afraid to speak his mind.

[edit] Corruption

In February 2006, auditors revealed that a total of about R2 billion in loans by the Land Bank, a government institution established to help farmers, had gone sour. Earlier, a R800 million (about $112 million) 10 year loan was given to Pamodzi Investment Holdings, a company whose shareholders include Motlanthe. This amounted to nearly one-third of the Land Bank's total assets, and was a non-agricultural investment. There is no suggestion that this particular loan was non-performing. Pamodzi chief executive Ndaba Ntsele denies there was any wrongdoing. [1]. The government has since fired the Land Bank chairman and agreed to inject R700 million to keep the Land Bank operative.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Pamodzi denies Land Bank deal is “dodgy”

[edit] External links

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Leaders of the African National Congress

Secretary-General
S. T. Plaatje (1912 - 1915) • R. V. S. Thema (1915 - 1917) • I. Bud-M'belle (1917 - 1919) • S. Msane (1919 - 1923) • T. D. Mweli-Skota (1923 - 1927) • E. J. Khaile (1927 - 1930) • E. Mdolomba (1930 - 1936) • J. A. Calata (1936 - 1949) • W. M. U. Sisulu (1949 - 1955) • O. R. Tambo (1955 - 1958) • P. P. D. Nokwe (1958 - 1969) • A. B. Nzo (1969 - 1991) • M. C. Ramaphosa (1991 - 1997) • K. Motlanthe (1997 - 2007) • G. Mantashe (2007 - present)

President
J. L. Dube (1912 - 1917) • S. M. Makgatho (1917 - 1924) • Z. R. Mahabane (1924 - 1927) • J. T. Gumede (1927 - 1930) • P. ka Isaka Seme (1930 - 1936) • Mahabane (1937 - 1940) • Xuma (1940 - 1949) • J. S. Moroka (1949 - 1952) • A. J. Lutuli (1952 - 1967) • O. R. Tambo (1967 - 1991) • N. R. Mandela (1991 - 1997) • T. M. Mbeki (1997 - 2007) • J. G. Zuma (2007-present)

Deputy President
N. R. Mandela (1952 - 1958) • O. R. Tambo (1958-1985) • N. R. Mandela (1985 - 1991) • W. M. U. Sisulu (1991 - 1994) • T. M. Mbeki (1994 - 1997) • J. G. Zuma (1997 - 2007) • K. Motlanthe (2007 - present) •
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