Former Economic Freedom Fighters MP Andile Mngxitama had to be physically restrained from attacking TUT FM station manager, Jeremy Thorpe, at the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) seminar on coalitions on Friday.
The seminar hosted by SAAPAM in conjunction with Pretoria News degenerated into chaos when Mngxitama threw a water bottle at Thorpe. The Black First Land First leader became seriously agitated when Thorpe repeatedly interjected his address.
“In South Africa today people [are] told about the media that they do not own. The media is controlled by settlers, even the SABC is under settler mentality…”
Thorpe interjected: “[SABC chief] Hlaudi Motsoeneng, you must be out of your mind”.
Mngxitama responded: “No, Hlaudi is the only one who is progressive”.
“You see, all of you who are in universities, we need patriotic leadership of management. In South Africa today I can tell it is Hlaudi and [Eskom CEO] Brian Molefe who, in my view, are patriotic managers,” said Mngxitama.
Thorpe interjected again: “No. He is an idiot”.
Then Mngxitama charged towards Thorpe saying, “You are a hopeless racist who should not be teaching. Shut up. Shut up Shut up”.
He threw the water bottle at Thorpe, who was seated in the second row.
Tempers flared in the room as some rose in defence of Thorpe, shouting and charging at Mngxitama while others rose in his defence.
Mngxitama was restrained and pushed out of the room.
“Deal with the white man. How can this man insult a black man? He insulted Hlaudi,” he shouted as he was pushed out of the room.
Some people in the room called Mngxitama “a messenger of the Guptas” as he was ushered away.
The seminar hosted by SAAPAM in conjunction with Pretoria News was part of a series of discussions intended to shape the public discourse on coalitions formed after the August 3 polls.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
