The dark truth about Paul Mashatile

Renowned News24 journalist Pieter du Toit has published a new book, The Dark Prince: An unflinching portrait of Paul Mashatile’s controversial rise through the ANC ranks to the doorstep of the presidency.

Du Toit is the assistant editor of investigations at News24 and has published numerous best selling books, The Stellenbosch Mafia and ANC Billionaires.

In his new book, du Toit meticulously delves into Mashatile’s rise to the top of the ANC and his links to the so-called Alex Mafia and other controversial individuals.

Mashatile was born on 21 October 1961 in Gerhardsville, now part of the municipality of Tshwane in the Gauteng province.

He began his political career as an anti-apartheid activist in Alexandra, Gauteng and was a member of the Congress of South African Students.

He co-founded the Alexandra Youth Congress, serving as its inaugural president in 1983 and representing the organisation at the launch of the United Democratic Front (UDF).

He later succeeded Valli Moosa as UDF regional secretary for Southern Transvaal, a position which he held until the UDF was dissolved in 1991.

In 1985, under the prevailing state of emergency, he was arrested for his political activism and detained without trial until 1989.

When the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) was unbanned in 1990, Mashatile was recruited to the interim leadership corps.

He helped establish the ANC and SACP’s new legal structures within Gauteng, led by trade unionist Kgalema Motlanthe.

He was appointed interim regional secretary of the SACP in 1990. In 1992, he was elected Provincial Secretary of the Gauteng ANC, where he worked alongside Tokyo Sexwale.

Mashatile joined the provincial cabinet in 1996, where he served for the next 13 years. During this time, he held numerous Member of the Executive Council (MEC) positions.

Mashatile ascended the ranks of the Gauteng ANC and was elected ANC Provincial Chairperson in Gauteng in 2007. On 7 October 2008, he was elected Gauteng Premier.

He served as Minister of Arts and Culture in President Jacob Zuma’s first cabinet from 2010 to 2014. After that, he retreated to the backbenches of the National Assembly.

In 2016, he was appointed MEC for Human Settlements and Cooperative Governance in the cabinet of Gauteng Premier David Makhura.

On 18 December 2017, Mashatile was elected Treasurer General of the ANC at the party’s 54th National Conference.

Five years later, at the ANC’s 55th National Conference, Mashatile was elected Deputy President of the ANC, serving under President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He was appointed Deputy President of South Africa by President Cyril Ramaphosa and is the frontrunner to become President of the ANC and South Africa.

The Dark Prince

Du Toit’s new book delves into Mashatile’s checkered political career, which includes surviving scandal and rising through the ranks to the doorstep of the presidency.

Over a 30-year political career, he has successfully navigated the corruption and factionalism that the ANC has become known for.

“Now he wants to take charge of the party and the Union Buildings. The question is: Should he? Is Paul Mashatile suitable for the highest office?” du Toit asks.

He has been associated with the ‘Alex Mafia’ for over 30 years and leads a lavish lifestyle, residing in luxury homes in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Du Toit examines how Mashatile can afford this lifestyle, how his networks support it, such as his relationship with the controversial tendertrepreneur Edwin Sodi, and what is expected in return.

He has been outspoken about the economy, black economic empowerment, and South Africa’s foreign relations. However, it is not clear if he has any firm principles.

Du Toit argued that Paul Mashatile embodies “the darkest impulses of the ANC,” describing him as a leader without principles “apart from those sanctioned by the party,” whose lifestyle is bankrolled by people seeking to profit from the state.

If he rises to the top, du Toit warned, “the Zuma-Gupta era won’t be seen as an anomaly … it will be seen as the prototype for future party structures and leaders.”

This book by du Toit answers these vital questions and reveals the dark truth about the ANC’s crown prince. Another must-read from the News24 investigations team.