Ex-SANDF General denies ‘coup plot’ against ANC leadership

Retired SANDF general Maomela “Mojo” Motau has been forced to deny claims that he organised a meeting to ‘overthrow’ the current leadership of the ANC, rubbishing the suggestion that he was plotting a coup.

A total of 137 senior ANC cadres were invited to a ‘summit’ – led by Motau – to discuss how the ruling party could resolve some of the issues currently hampering the movement. However, this flies in the face of a directive issued by SANDF’s leading General Solly Shoke last month, who instructed army officials to avoid any official discussions with party members.

Coup plot ‘dismissed by SANDF figures’

Motau has denied any wrongdoing, and over the weekend, he claimed that Shoke’s statement was deliberately planted to try and stop the summit at Luthuli House. A coup, he claims, was never on the table.

“It was not an SANDF summit. Some people were silly because they wanted to stop it. They started calling it the SANDF cadre assembly to interfere in ANC matters. We believe they forced the SANDF to issue a statement, which was unlawful, because it tried to give an unlawful order to members of the SANDF.”

“They issued that statement to sabotage and stop the meeting. We actually said, ‘no, we can’t stop’ because if we did, they would go around saying, you see, we foiled a plot to coup the government.”

ANC cadre summit raises suspicions

Military Veterans President Kebby Maphatsoe also defended the retired General on Tuesday, telling EWN that “General Motau did not plan any coup and he has never had that idea.”

The gathering had also invited former presidents Jacob Zuma, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe to attend – but none of them accepted the invitation. The blurring of military and political authority is something both the ANC and SANDF are keen to avoid, but the cadres in attendance are now set to present their findings to the government’s “Top Six” this week.