Kay Sexwale: Mashatile's Detractors 'lose Sleep At Prospect Of His Presidency'

Communications consultant Kay Sexwale defended Deputy President Paul Mashatile from South Africa's biased white media.

Sexwale describes herself as an African National Congress ANC member in good standing.

She is ANC veteran Tokyo Sexwales niece and the partys Gauteng communications strategist when Mashatile was the provincial chairperson.

In a series of articles dubbed Mashatile Unmasked , News24 has sought to to unearth the apparently opulent and off-the-books lifestyle of Mashatile.

The articles allege that the Deputy President has used multimillion rand homes owned by tenderpreneurs and beneficiaries of government contracts such as corruption-accused businessman Edwin Sodi .

In February 2024, Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen laid criminal charges against Mashatile based on these allegations. Mashatile has consistently denied wrongdoing.

In an opinion piece published on Sunday World on 20 April, Sexwale wrote that the Deputy President represents a black leader that cannot be easily categorised, controlled or contained.

What we're witnessing is not mere political journalism or honest analysis, but a coordinated propaganda campaign, she added.

The pattern has become predictable: take a black leader who has grown through the ranks with strong grassroots support, rubbish their achievements, amplify negative, unverified allegations peddled by political rivals and package it all as objective analysis. This same playbook was used against leaders from Mandela to Malema, and now Mashatile's is on their radar.

She praised Mashatiles record as an MEC and Premier in Gauteng, deputy minister and minister in various portfolios.