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My encounter with the Honourable Vietjie Mentor was on the 7th November 2006 in her then office. Prior that I had no clue as to who she was, even her gender. I was however familiar with the name from the weekly notices of the ANC Caucus meetings since she was its Chair at that point in time.
I felt relieved when I saw that she was a woman. It took me a minute to reconcile the woman seated in front of me with the picture of a man that I had imagined on my way to her office. The first word I said, “I thought you were a man.” We shared smiles before I narrated the incident and its effects on me. I was there to report the sexual harassment that was done by the then Chief Whip, Mbulelo Goniwe and there was no turning back. We spent hours discussing the issue. We ended the meeting and planned to meet again the following day. I had said so much and I felt lighter. I went to meet her again and she told me about the ad-hoc committee set-up to investigate the issue. Vietjie then discussed the issue in her ANC Caucus meeting and she got the direction from the ANC Caucus.
After many threats, I spent most of my time in her office. She advice me to write down my statement and told me what was going to happen. Soon after submitting my statement, she convened ad-hoc committee at Marks Building in the committe room of the Intelligence Portfolio Committee. The committe included Hon. Rebecca Kasienyane, Hon Pam Tshwete and Hon Magie Sotyu who later became Deputy Ministers as well as Hon Stoney Morotua. They were all NEC Members of the Women’s League available in Parliament. The committee interviewed myself, Thembinkosi Oliphant, the Head of ANC Caucus Support Services, Simon Nkanunu, the National Constituency Coordinator and Desiree Jacobs, the Chief Whip’s Personal Assistant.
Mom Vietjie Mentor in her capacity as the Chair of Caucus wrote to the Secretary General of the ANC. There were tapes produced of a preliminary investigation made by the committee in Parliament. After that, Caucus members advised me to write my own statement to the Secretary General and lay a formal complaint to the ANC and I did exactly that. I then lodged a complaints to the then Secretary General, Cde Kgalema Monthlanthe since it was clear that Luthuli House (ANC HQ) was the only placs where a complain could be lodged because a Chief Whip by the nature is a senior deployee. Sometime in November 2006, the ANC SG, Cde Kgalema convened a special top 6 ANC National Officials meeting. The top 6 included the then President of the ANC, Cde Thabo Mbeki and his then Deputy, Cde Jacob Zuma.
At the end of the meeting, Cde Kgalema put in place a committe, which comprised of advocate Sedibe, advocaye Joe Modise, Dr Matthews Phosa and Sophie De Bruin, one of the 1956 Historic March’s only surviving troop. They deliberated the issues and saw how serious the allegations were and a National Disciplinary Hearing was set up and it included: Prof. Kather Asmal, a late Min of Education, Dr Geraldine Fraiser-Moleketi, the University of Nelson Mandela Vice Chancellor who was the Minister back then. There was also Minister Susan Shabangu and Llewen Landers who was then a Deputy Minister.
Vietjie Mentor was there for me when I had no one.
I won the case and it was started afresh by a new committee in 2007 and it was now comprising of the late Henry Makgoti, late Laloo Chiba, Hilda Ndude, George Negote and Baby Tyawa and throughout that painful journey she was behind me, even accused of buying a phone for my mother, something she never done, accused of settling her score while she was helping a vulnerable woman, where majority of women were standing in the side of the abuser.
She was called to the witness stand in the DC and she did. She tood with me until the end. At some stage she took me into her house and cared for me like a mother care for her daughter. I had no family in Cape Town, she became my pillar. She would wake up in the middle of the night and check me and tell me of how she love me. She would trigger me to eat when I didnt want to eat. She treated me like her own daughter. She was also praying for me and I was praying for her until this day. She became a woman I called Queen Mother. She was a resilient woman who cared deeply about humans and thier feelings, a true patriot until the end.
I don’t care what others paint her, to me she deserve a crown, her principle was to stand for the truth even when it was not fashionable even if it meant she was all alone, for that I respect her. She sacrificed her own career just for me and others. Her conviction was too strong. She was a rare breed, a woman who was not a mother to her own children but to all.
Good night Queen mother, you fought a good fight, I will remember your unconditional love and truthful nature.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pondoland Times.
