Cape Town – African National Congress (ANC) national chairperson Gwede Mantashe has questioned calls for him to apologise over controversial remarks about alleged sex-for-jobs exploitation, saying he does not understand what he is expected to apologise for.
Speaking to the SABC on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 2026 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Cape Town, Mantashe said the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) had not approached him directly to explain its objections.
“I’m apologising, but I don’t know what I must apologise for,” Mantashe said.
WATCH | Responding to the ANC Women’s League’s demand that he apologise for what it describes as disturbing and derogatory remarks, Gwede Mantashe says the ANCWL has not engaged him directly, and he does not know for what he is expected to apologise. https://t.co/7Juct6w9Jo
— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 21, 2026
He added that he had expected the league to engage with him so he could understand what was considered offensive. He also maintained that Xhosa linguists agreed with his interpretation of the language he had used.
The controversy follows remarks Mantashe made during an ANC campaign visit in North West, when a journalist from Newzroom Afrika questioned him about allegations that a municipal councillor had demanded sexual favours from women in exchange for employment.
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 🤨🙆♂️
— Nicolas Levie (@LeviKriel) October 20, 2026
“Don’t involve me in issues of asking for a vagina. This person asked for his vagina from a person that he encountered. This can’t be an ANC issue,” Mantashe said in comments widely circulated on social media.
He argued that if elected councillors used their positions to pursue sexual relationships, the conduct should be regarded as individual misconduct rather than an ANC issue.
ANC Women’s League demands action
The ANCWL has condemned Mantashe’s response, demanding a public apology to the journalist and the public, as well as internal disciplinary action.
According to IOL, the league described his remarks as “gratuitously improper”.
ANCWL secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba called on the party’s leadership to reprimand Mantashe, arguing that his position as a senior leader carried a responsibility to uphold the organisation’s principles of respect and dignity.
[WATCH] “I am ready to apologise,” ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe responds to the ANC Women’s League’s demand for an apology regarding his remarks about elected public representatives who use their positions to abuse women in society. #Newzroom405 https://t.co/VGMLutolPR
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 21, 2026
“We also call for him to be subjected to organisational disciplinary action in response to his repeated insults and attacks on women,” Nqaba said.
The league also rejected the use of Mantashe’s age as an excuse for his conduct, saying senior leaders should set an example.
The dispute has renewed scrutiny of how political leaders respond to allegations of sexual exploitation and the potential abuse of authority in access to employment.
The allegations concerning the councillor remain distinct from the controversy over Mantashe’s remarks. The ANC Women’s League’s demand for accountability has placed the party’s stated commitment to non-sexism and women’s dignity at the centre of the debate.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
