THE DARK PRINCE: An unflinching portrait of Paul Mashatile’s controversial rise through the ANC ranks to the doorstep of the Presidency is a refreshing book, worthy reading,
By Giyani Baloi
Very little is known about Paulus Shipokosa Mashatile, the son of Bishop Diamond Nyangeni, and Mdjadji Mirriam Mashatile, who is known as Paul Mashatile in short. Political journalist Pieter du Toit is trying to unmask that and more in his book THE DARK PRINCE: An unflinching portrait of Paul Mashatile’s controversial rise through the ANC ranks to the doorstep of the Presidency.
What is on record is that Mashatile was born in Gerhardsiville between Brits and Pretoria on 21 October 1961. He has seven siblings. His family lived in Atterridgeville, where he started his primary school before the family moved to Alexandra township. It is in Alexandra township where Paul Mashatile did his high school and got involved in youth politics, which led to his arrest in the mid-1980s. He stayed in prison for 4 years without trial as it was a norm during apartheid in South Africa then. The law was in the hands of the apartheid rulers.
He got involved in politics with his Alex friends Keith Khoza, Mike Maile, and others who were later became known as the “Alex Mafia,” a term they took great exemption to.
After democracy, they became part of Gauteng provincial leadership. That’s where Paul Mashatile’ kept navigating the power dynamics, factional battles of the ANC until at the doorstep of the Presidency as described by Pieter du Toit in his book.
But where there is power, there are friends, patronage, and money. The challenge is, where do you draw a line. Pieter du Toit highlights the wealth that seem to be trickling down in Paul Mashatile’s family. A house worthy over R35 million in Waterfall Estate in Midrand and another one in Cape Town also worth millions that is said to be Mashatile’s family home.
How his business friends seem to be benefiting from big government tenders and indirectly pay for Mashatile’s dining in expensive restaurants, among other things.
Nothing is clear cut on Mashatile’s alleged corruption activities in the book, other than speculations. You may also know that politics is a dirty game, and there are many tricks that can be used to try and tarnish a person’s good name, especially if you are of a black race and seemingly on the doorstep of the ultimate political power in South Africa.
However, it’s a very refreshing book, worthy reading, and touches on a lot of other good things about Paul Mashatile, his abilities, or lack of it.