Mosima Gabriel "Tokyo" Sexwale (pronounced , ; born 5 March 1953) is a South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. For many years, Sexwale was imprisoned on Robben Island for his anti-apartheid activities, alongside figures such as Nelson Mandela. After the 1994 general election—the first fully democratic election in South Africa—Sexwale became the Premier of Gauteng Province.

Early life and education

Sexwale was born in the township of Orlando West, in Soweto. His father was a clerk at Johannesburg General Hospital and had fought against the Germans in World War II. Sexwale grew up during the black township's upheaval. In 1973, he graduated from Orlando West High School.

In the late 1960s, Sexwale became a member of the Steve Biko's Black Consciousness Movement and became a local leader of the radical South African Students' Movement. In the early 1970s, he joined the African National Congress's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe ("spear of the nation"). While in Swaziland, he completed a Certificate in Business Studies at the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. In 1975, Sexwale went into exile, undergoing military officers' training in the Soviet Union, where he specialized in military engineering.

Imprisonment

Upon his return to South Africa in 1976, Sexwale, along with 11 others, was captured after a skirmish with the South African security forces. After an almost two-year trial in the Supreme Court of South Africa in Pretoria, he was charged and later convicted of terrorism and conspiracy to overthrow the government. In 1977, Sexwale was sent to the Robben Island maximum-security prison to serve an 18-year sentence. While imprisoned on Robben Island, he studied for a BCom degree at the University of South Africa. Sexwale was released in June 1990 under the terms of the Groote Schuur Agreement between the National Party government and the African National Congress. He had spent 13 years in prison. He was elected to the ANC's 80-member National Executive Committee in December 2007 in 10th place, with 2,198 votes.

On 10 May 2009, President Jacob Zuma appointed Sexwale as Minister of Human Settlements, a ministry which replaced the Department of Housing.

Mvelaphanda Group

Upon leaving the public sector, Sexwale founded Mvelaphanda Holdings (mvelaphanda is the Venda word for "progress"), a company of which he is still executive chairman. Mvelaphanda is primarily focused on the mining, energy and related sectors. Some of Sexwale's main interests are oil and diamond mining, for which he has been granted concessions across Africa and Russia; these interests are controlled by a subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings called Mvelaphanda Resources.

Through his Mvelaphanda Group, Sexwale has substantial holdings in the mining sector. He is currently discussing with the Kazakh-owned Eurasian National Resources Corporation a plan to buy into mining interests in Guinea. A negotiating team is in secret talks about financing a local mining company to be owned by the Guinean state.

The new mining code, drafted by advisers to the Guinean President Alpha Condé, would grant the new state entity a free 15% stake in Guinea's mining projects, with the option to buy another 20%. Sexwale was a business partner with Alpha Condé even before Condé became president.

Sexwale's Mvelphanda Holdings and Walter Hennig's Palladino Holdings have entered into a partnership with US investment fund managers Och-Ziff Capital Management in African Global Capital, a natural resources investment fund focussing on the continent.

As part of the joint venture, Africa Management Limited established African Global Capital, as a vehicle for investment in both the private and public markets across Africa, focusing on natural resources and related opportunities. The resulting corruption investigation resulted in the FIFA president being removed and another African sports executive, Issa Hayatou was announced as acting president.

During this time, Sexwale announced his candidacy for FIFA president, stating that he planned to "repair the undermined FIFA brand". Initially, there was great excitement within the South African Football Association as the South African football president backed Sexwale’s bid for presidency, however these hopes were dashed when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeared to not be backing any African candidates, but rather CAF declared that Africa’s 54 federations would back Asian Football Confederation's candidate Sheikh Salman in the FIFA presidency elections.

Following this news, Sexwale withdrew from FIFA's presidential election.

Presidential ambitions

He was mentioned as a possible candidate for Deputy President of the African National Congress in 2007. In September 2007 he announced his candidacy for the ANC Presidential nomination at the party convention in Polokwane. Prior to the convention, he withdrew his nomination and backed then Deputy President - Jacob Zuma. He did not stand for the Deputy Presidency as certain media speculation expected, the post eventually going to Kgalema Motlanthe. In 2009, he was appointed as Minister of Human Settlements by President Jacob Zuma having previously been touted as a possible Foreign Affairs or Defense Minister.

2012 ANC Leadership election

Sexwale was nominated as Kgalema Motlanthe's Deputy Presidential running mate on 2 October 2012 by various regions in the Eastern Cape, the ruling party's second largest branch. The African National Congress Youth League also indicated that it would back Sexwale for the Deputy Presidency at the ANC's leadership election in Mangaung, Free State. On 18 December 2012, Sexwale was defeated for the post of Deputy President, coming in last place he received 463 votes while Cyril Ramaphosa received 3 018 votes and Mathews Phosa received 470 votes.

2027 ANC leadership election

Sexwale was again mentioned as a possible contender for the ANC Presidency in 2027 after some branches of the African National Congress (ANC) have expressed support for him over Patrice Motsepe in discussions regarding the party’s future leadership. This follows speculation about who may succeed Cyril Ramaphosa when he steps down at the party’s elective conference scheduled for the following year.

Sexwale’s name has been mentioned in some quarters amid the ANC’s ongoing criticism of opponents and its campaigning ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

Personal life

Sexwale's nickname of "Tokyo" is derived from his involvement with karate in his youth.

Three days after the death of Mandela, on 8 December 2013, Sexwale appeared at a prayer service in Houghton, South Africa, where he hailed Mandela as the "purest of the purest good" and encouraged everyone to learn from his example: "His method was that of solving a society's most impractical problems through talking and engaging."

In November 2022, he married Natacha da Silva, a former model 38 years his junior.

Controversies

In 2001, Sexwale was accused, along with Cyril Ramaphosa and Mathews Phosa, of plotting to depose President Thabo Mbeki. Sexwale denied the charges and all three received the backing of Nelson Mandela; they were later exonerated from all accusations.

In 2002, he was refused a visa to enter the United States, which kept him from attending the listing of Gold Fields (a company in which he holds a 15 percent stake) on the New York Stock Exchange. It later transpired that he, along with many prominent South African anti-apartheid figures such as Nelson Mandela and South African cabinet minister Sidney Mufamadi, were still on that country's list of global terrorists. After initiating legal action, going so far as to having papers served on the U.S. Department of State and following personal intervention by Condoleezza Rice, Sexwale and the others received ten-year waivers from the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Department of Homeland Security, as the government felt that permanently delisting them would mean changing the law, which would be a lengthy process. In July 2008 a bill became law in the US to "provide relief for certain members of the African National Congress regarding admissibility" and the ANC itself was removed from the terrorist list though on 28 October 2013, the ANC demanded an apology after Sexwale was held at a US airport because he was still on a terrorist watchlist.

In 2005, Sexwale was roundly criticized for being "indecisive" during the live finale of the South African version of The Apprentice, which he fronted on SABC3. Both finalists, Zanele Batyashe, 24, and Khomotso Choma, 34, were hired in the finale which aired 22 September.

Sexwale's name appeared in a United Nations report on illegal transactions under the Oil-for-Food Programme.

Sexwale's Group 5 has received criticism for their involvement with Gugulethu Tycoon, Mzoli Ngcawuzele in the Guguletu Square Mall.

In July 2009, Sexwale was criticized by some civil society organizations and academics for what they called 'publicity stunts' as well as for accusing protesting communities of fomenting 'anarchy' and threatened 'zero tolerance' against protesters 'acting under other flags'.

Guinea

Sexwale led a group of South Africans who devised a plan to take over mineral assets and mining concessions in the Republic of Guinea, which the Guinean government planned to renationalize after revoking deals struck by previous governments in power.

Sexwale discussed a plan with the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation to buy into mining interests in Guinea.

The deal comprised a loan of $25 million USD to the Guinean government to finance the start-up of a new Guinean state mining company.

Mahmoud Thiam, the former Guinean mining minister and political opponent of President Alpha Condé, claimed that Sexwale "was angry with the president because he was not delivering on his promises" and that Sexwale was funding the president's election campaign through the loan deal. The payments were made by Walter Hennig from an account held in Turks and Caicos into an offshore account held by Mohammed Condé in Monaco.

Awards

Sexwale has received many honours and awards, including the Légion d'honneur from France, an honorary doctorate from Nottingham Trent University, an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, the Order of the Freedom of Havana (Cuba), the Cross of Valour (Ruby Class) from South Africa, and the Reach and Teach Leadership Award, from the United States. He is also chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology.

Sexwale is also an honorary colonel in the South African Air Force and chair of the Council for the Support of National Defence, whose aim is to encourage part-time military service as well as building support in society for those who wish to serve in the military as volunteers. In 2004, he was voted 43rd in the list of "Top 100 Great South Africans".

Sexwale holds positions in many international organisations, such as president of the South African/Russian Business, Technological and Cultural Association, and Vice President of the South African/Japanese Business Forum. He is also an Honorary Consul General of Finland in South Africa.

Notes

References

  • Anatomy of fast money
  • Tokyo Mosima Gabriel Sexwale Profile at Black Entrepreneur Profile
  • "East Cape ANCYL favours Motlanthe as president"