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Vytjie Mentor

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Vytjie Mentor
MP
Mentor in 2019
Chairperson of the African National Congress Parliamentary Caucus
In office
2004–2008
Preceded byJoyce Kgoali
Succeeded byNcumisa Chwayita Kondlo
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
2002–2014
Personal details
Born
Mabel Patronella Mentor

(1963-10-19)19 October 1963
Died23 August 2022(2022-08-23) (aged 58)
NationalitySouth African
Political partyActionSA (2020–2022)
Other political
affiliations
Alma mater
ProfessionPolitician

Mabel Patronella Mentor (19 October 1963 – 23 August 2022), known as Vytjie Mentor, was a South African politician, who served as a member of the National Assembly from 2002 until 2014. She represented the African National Congress and served as the party's caucus chairperson between 2004 and 2008. She was chairperson of the portfolio committee on public enterprises from 2009 to 2010. She is credited to be one of the first people to break ranks with the ANC and raise the alarm on state capture.[1]

Early life and education

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Mabel Patronella Mentor was born on 19 October 1963 in the former Cape Province of South Africa. She matriculated from Batlhaping High School in Taung. She studied at Hebron Theological College, East Rand College, and the University of the Witwatersrand. Mentor also studied through University of South Africa.[2]

Parliamentary career

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Mentor was a long-standing member of the African National Congress. She was sworn in as an MP in 2002 and was elected to her first full term in 2004.[3][4] After the election, she was named as chairperson of the party's caucus, succeeding Joyce Kgoali. She held the position until 2008, when Ncumisa Chwayita Kondlo was announced as her successor.[5]

Mentor was re-elected in 2009.[5] The ANC then designated her to be the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.[6][7][8] In 2010, she accompanied president Jacob Zuma on a state visit to China. This generated controversy. The ANC launched a probe and found that Transnet had paid for her trip.[5] She was later demoted as chairperson of the committee after it was found that she had improperly asked for sponsorship. Mentor left Parliament before the 2014 general election.[5]

State capture allegations

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In March 2016, Mentor claimed that in 2010 the Gupta family, on behalf of Zuma, offered her the position of Minister of Public Enterprises, if she could arrange that South African Airways drop their Johannesburg to Mumbai route, so that Jet Airways could acquire it.[9][10] She said she declined the offer, which occurred at the Guptas' Saxonwold residence, while Zuma was in another room.[11] The family denied that the meeting took place and Zuma said he had no recollection of Mentor.[12][13] In August 2018, she testified at The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.[14] She was cross-examined in February 2019 after some parts of her testimony were found to be inconsistent. Mentor has defended her testimony.[15][16]

In June 2022, the current Chief Justice of South Africa and the former chairperson of the State Capture Commission, Raymond Zondo said that there were too many "unsatisfactory features" in Mentor's evidence and that the meeting at the Gupta's residence, in which she alleged that a member of the Gupta family offered her the position of Minister of Public Enterprises, did not happen.[17]

Later career and death

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Mentor resigned from the ANC in March 2019 and joined the African Christian Democratic Party.[18] In July 2020, Herman Mashaba announced that Mentor had joined his new political party, ActionSA.[19] Mentor was appointed the party's provincial chairperson in the Western Cape in October 2020.[20]

On 12 June 2022, Mentor resigned as the party's provincial chairperson due to health-related issues. The party said that she will assume a new position in the organisation.[21] Mentor said that her ill-health was caused by her weight loss journey. She had bariatric surgery to lose weight but after she injured her leg, she gained weight again. She was later diagnosed with candidiasis.[22]

On 23 August 2022 her family reported that she had died after a long illness.[23]

Publications

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  • Mentor, Vytjie (2017). No Holy Cows: Moments in My Political Life: 2002–2017. ISBN 9780620763141

References

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  1. ^ Rondganger, Lee. "State capture whistle-blower Vytjie Mentor passes away after battling a long illness". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Vytjie Mentor". 10 December 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. ^ Thamm, Marian (21 July 2017). "Lone Ranger: Vytjie Mentor on the groper president and the ANC's lost soul". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. ^ Jacobs, Yasmine (17 March 2016). "All you need to know about Vytjie Mentor". IOL. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d Quintal, Genevieve (16 March 2020). "5 things you might not remember about Vytjie Mentor". News24. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ^ "ANC names chairpersons of parliamentary committees". Politicsweb. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. ^ Engelbrecht, Leon (22 May 2019). "ANC names candidate portfolio committee chairs". DefenceWeb. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Election of Chairperson". PMG. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Vytjie Mentor, the China trip and the Guptas' plans for SAA". City Press. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. ^ Joubert, Jan-Jan (20 March 2016). "Vytjie Mentor tearfully opens up about Guptas". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Vytjie Mentor: I can prove Zuma was with me in the Gupta house". BusinessLIVE. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  12. ^ Khoza, Amanda (15 March 2016). "Gupta family denies offering former ANC MP top job". News24. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  13. ^ "'Zuma has no recollection of Vytjie Mentor'". IOL. Johannesburg. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  14. ^ "WATCH: Vytjie Mentor testifies at state capture inquiry". eNCA. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  15. ^ "LIVE FEED: #StateCaptureInquiry February 11, 2019". IOL. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. ^ Lekabe, Thapelo (12 February 2019). "#StateCapture: 5 discrepancies from Vytjie Mentor's testimony". Johannesburg. EWN. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  17. ^ Sidimba, Loyiso. "Vytjie Mentor not offered ministerial position by the Guptas – Chief Justice Zondo". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  18. ^ Mkhwanazi, Siyabonga (26 March 2019). "BREAKING: Former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor joins ACDP". IOL. Parliament. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  19. ^ "WATCH: ANC whistleblower Vytjie Mentor joins Mashaba's new party". The Citizen. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  20. ^ Nicolson, Greg (5 October 2020). "ACTION SA: Herman Mashaba's party appoints John Moodey, Makhosi Khoza, Vytjie Mentor in three key provincial positions". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  21. ^ Mbhele, Buhle. "ActionSA WC chair Vytjie Mentor steps down". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  22. ^ Nel, Brandon. "Vytjie Mentor breaks silence on ill-health". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  23. ^ "Former MP turned state capture witness Vytjie Mentor succumbs to long illness". TimesLIVE -ZA. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
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