The African National Congress (ANC) has ordered its national chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, to apologise for his remarks about sex in exchange for jobs.
Mantashe made the remarks during an interview with Newzroom Afrika on the sidelines of his party’s campaign in the North West last weekend.
ANC ASKS GWEDE MANTASHE TO APOLOGISE
Mantashe faced criticism and backlash on social media after his remarks. The ANC Women’s League also condemned him and called for disciplinary action against him.
ANCWL secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba said they advised Gwede Mantashe to apologise to the journalist who interviewed him on the issue and the women of South Africa because of the values and the principles of the party regarding women empowerment.
“It can’t be our own leaders who are supposed to be aligned with the policies that utter such….it was unfair that such derogatory language was used during an interview. The journalist was asking the question, not for herself but for South Africans in particular to protect the rights of women,” she said.
The ANC Women’s League wants the party’s Chairperson Gwede Mantashe to face disciplinary action. It follows remarks he made about sex-for-jobs practices in the labour force. ANCWL Secretary-General Nokuthula Nqaba elaborates on the call.
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 18, 2026
Watch: https://t.co/ti69RLS8WQ… pic.twitter.com/q6DeZtitf6
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the party reiterated its firm position that women deserve respect, dignity, empowerment and opportunities to realise their full potential.
“We recognise that unequal gender power relations continue to expose women to sexual exploitation, including demands for sexual favours in exchange for employment and job opportunities. Such conduct constitutes a grave abuse of power and must be eliminated from our society,” Bhengu said.
She added that ANC leaders had a heightened responsibility to uphold these principles through their words and actions, confront discrimination and advance gender equality.
“This responsibility includes communicating with dignity and sensitivity, protecting women from exploitation and ensuring that access to employment and opportunities is never conditional on sexual favours,” she said.
Gwede Mantashe is a dirty old man. Instead of saying that the ANC will hold accountable any leader who demands sexual favours in exchange for a job, he is literally promoting it and saying it has nothing to do with the ANC. No consequence management, No accountability, Nothing… pic.twitter.com/OANiu0eMe7
— Nicolas Levie (@LeviKriel) October 20, 2026