Picture: North West MEC for Education and ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary, Viola Motsumi
By VIOLA MOTSUMI
2 March 2026- The recent article authored by a certain Mr China Dodovu, a discredited and embittered political opportunist deserves no credibility. It is a desperate attempt by a failed figure to remain relevant in the political discourse of our movement and society. The piece is not grounded in fact, principle, or genuine concern for the African National Congress (ANC) or its renewal, but rather in personal bitterness, jealousy, and a long-standing record of failure and manipulation.
Dodovu’s history speaks louder than his words. He is a casino activist and an armchair revolutionary, known more for gossip and self-promotion than for any tangible contribution to the renewal of the movement. His repeated failures to secure leadership positions within the ANC are not the result of conspiracies, but of his own lack of integrity, discipline, and vision.
This is a bitter and aggrieved individual, rejected by the very movement he now seeks to undermine. Having lost every court case he and his associates initiated against the legitimate ANC PEC, he has become a symbol of political irrelevance, a man who refuses to be led, yet demands to lead.
When entrusted with leadership responsibilities, this individual failed to unite or advance the ANC. His tenure as Provincial Deputy Chairperson of the ANC and a mayor of Matlosana was marred by political instability, legal conflicts and administrative chaos, leaving behind a legacy of divisions and incompetence.
Instead of introspection, he has chosen to lash out at the new generation of leaders who are actually rebuilding and modernizing the ANC. His association with the formation of forum for service delivery an organisation opposed to the ANC further exposes his hypocrisy.
Having abandoned the ANC’s principles, he now positions himself as a self-appointed moral authority in its direction. This is not ideology, it is opportunism of the worst kind.
This person has become the biggest wedge driver in contemporary ANC politics. He thrives on lies, gossip, and corridor talk, attempting to sow division where unity is needed most.
His politics are not about service, unity, renewal or transformation they are about personal relevance and ego. He embodies the mentality of either me or nobody, a destructive mindset that has no place in a democratic movement.
His attacks on my person are motivated not by principle, but by jealousy toward the younger, more capable generation now leading the organization forward. I will not be distracted by the noise of failed politicians seeking attention.
The movement remains focused on renewal, unity, and service to the people of South Africa. The public can see through the bitterness and self-interest of those who thrive on division.
History has already judged this individual a palooka of ANC politics, trapped in the past, consumed by resentment, and irrelevant to the future. The ANC’s new generation will continue to lead with integrity, discipline, and a commitment to the collective good, not the personal ambitions of the discredited few.
This malicious article is nothing more than the last gasp of a failed political career. I will not dignify such propaganda with prolonged engagement.
Our focus remains on building, uniting, and serving while others remain stuck in their own bitterness and failure. In conclusion, while the author’s record of failure and duplicity is well known, I will not descend into the gutter of personal exposure or vindictiveness.
For the sake of the ANC’s integrity and unity the details surrounding his resignation as mayor, including the serious issues of other malfeasance and misconduct that accompanied it will, for now, remain undisclosed. However, should circumstances so permit and if the ongoing campaign of misinformation and character assassination continues, the full facts will be placed before the public.
I will always defend myself with truth and principle, and when the time comes, the record will speak for itself clearly, factually, and decisively. I was emotionally abused, threatened, showered with insults, silenced, bullied and humiliated many times, not this time I refuse to be buried alive.
I am responding in my personal capacity as I am also a human being with feelings. As I pause.
(Note: Viola Motsumi is ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary, but wrote this in her personal capacity. The content of the letter remains her views. The Guardian Newspaper and its associates do not agree nor disagree with content of the letter)
The Guardian 