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{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Use South African English|date = October 2012}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = [[National Assembly of South Africa|Member of the National Assembly]]
| termstart = 9 May 1994
| termstart1 = November 1998
| office1 = [[Chief Whip of the Majority Party]]
| predecessor1 = [[Max Sisulu]]
| successor1 = [[Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula]]
| 1blankname1 = Speaker
| 1namedata1 = [[Frene Ginwala]]
| party = [[African National Congress]]
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Lumka Yengeni]]|1984}}
| birth_name = Tony Sithembiso Yengeni
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|10|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Cape Town]], [[Cape Province]]<br />[[Union of South Africa]]
| termend1 = October 2001
| termend = 5 March 2003
}}
'''Tony Sithembiso Yengeni''' (born 11 October 1954) is a South African politician and former [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid activist]]. He represented the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) in the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]] from May 1994 to March 2003, including as [[Chief Whip of the Majority Party]] from November 1998 to October 2001. He was a member of the ANC [[National Executive Committee of the African National Congress|National Executive Committee]] between 1994 and 2022, though he resigned from legislative politics after he was convicted of [[fraud]] in 2003.
Yengeni grew up on the [[Cape Flats]] but joined the ANC in 1976 and went into exile with the party's armed wing, [[UMkhonto we Sizwe|Umkhonto we Sizwe]]. In 1986, he returned to South Africa as the commander of [[UMkhonto we Sizwe|Umkhonto we Sizwe]]'s structures in [[Cape Town]]. He was detained for his activism between 1987 and 1991, awaiting trial on [[terrorism]] charges, but he was indemnified and released in March 1991 during the [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|negotiations to end apartheid]]. After that, he was the regional secretary of the ANC in the [[Western Cape]] until the [[1994 South African general election|1994 general election]], when he was elected to the National Assembly.
In the National Assembly, before his appointment as Chief Whip, Yengeni chaired the [[Joint Standing Committee on Defence]] in the [[22nd South African Parliament|first democratic Parliament]] from 1994 to 1998. His activities in the committee gave rise to a criminal charge during investigations into alleged corruption in the [[South African Arms Deal|Arms Deal]]. In 2003, he was found guilty of fraud. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but only served four months,<ref>[https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-defends-yengeni-appointment-as-chair-of-crime-and-corruption-group-15690297 IOL], retrieved 11 Dec 2022</ref> for getting an unlawful discount on a Mercedes Benz he purchased.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-mp-arrested-on-corruption-charges-37698097|title=ANC MP arrested on corruption charges|first=Siyabonga|last=Mkhwanazi|publisher=Independent Online|date=11 November 2019|accessdate=25 December 2020}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Yengeni was born on 11 October 1954 in [[Cape Town]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=30 October 2011 |title=Tony Sithembiso Yengeni |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/tony-sithembiso-yengeni |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=South African History Online}}</ref> He grew up in [[Gugulethu]] and [[Nyanga, Western Cape|Nyanga]], both [[Township (South Africa)|townships]] on the [[Cape Flats]], and matriculated at Fort Beaufort College in Cape Town.<ref name=":0" />
== Anti-apartheid activism ==
He entered [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid politics]] through the [[Black Consciousness Movement]] before joining the outlawed [[African National Congress]] (ANC) in 1976.<ref name="bbcriseandfall" /> He went into exile with the ANC in the [[Frontline States]], receiving military training at [[UMkhonto we Sizwe|Umkhonto we Sizwe]] (MK) camps in Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia, and Angola; he also travelled to [[Moscow]] in the [[Soviet Union]] to study for a social science diploma in 1982.<ref name=":0" /> He was later seconded to the [[South African Congress of Trade Unions]] in Lesotho, where he was regional secretary.<ref name="bbcriseandfall" />
=== Detention and trial: 1986–1991 ===
In 1986, Yengeni returned to South Africa to lead the MK underground in Cape Town.<ref name=":0" /> The following year, in a crackdown on his MK network, Yengeni was arrested and detained indefinitely under Section 29 of the [[Internal Security Act, 1982|Internal Security Act]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=24 August 2020 |title=How Tony Yengeni and his co-accused turned apartheid show trial on its head |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/opinion/how-tony-yengeni-and-his-co-accused-turned-apartheid-show-trial-on-its-head-efb0963c-fab7-46c2-94cb-a2c08fb34d96 |access-date=27 April 2023}}</ref> Awaiting trial in [[Pollsmoor Prison]], he and the others mounted a [[hunger strike]] which received public attention, demanding improvements in detention conditions, including that they – the defendants – should not be held in racially segregated facilities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=1988-06-02 |title=Treason trial 11 on hunger strike over 'unequal treatment' |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1988-06-03-00-treason-trial-11-on-hunger-strike-over-unequal-treatment/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
In what became known as the Yengeni Trial or Rainbow Trial (for the racial diversity of the defendants), the state pursued terrorism charges – a step-down from the initial [[treason]] charges – against Yengeni and 13 others, including [[Jenny Schreiner]] and his own future wife.<ref name=":5" /> They were accused of planting two bombs (which had not harmed anyone) and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=1991-03-19 |title=S. Africa Drops 2 Terror Cases in Step to End Political Trials |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-19-mn-545-story.html |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The defendants exploited the prosecution for political purposes; for example, they refused to [[Plea|plead]] guilty or not guilty and instead entered a lengthy plea which reversed the charge of terrorism and treason against the state and ended with the statement, "Victory is certain. South Africa shall be free."<ref name=":5" /> In March 1991, during an adjournment of the trial and amid ongoing [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|negotiations to end apartheid]], Justice Minister [[Kobie Coetsee]] announced that Yengeni and the others had been indemnified and would be released.<ref name=":6" />
=== Transitional ANC: 1991–1994 ===
By the time of Yengeni's release in 1991, the ANC had been unbanned by the apartheid government, and Yengeni became secretary of the party's new above-ground branch in the [[Western Cape]].<ref name="bbcriseandfall" /> He became a popular figure in Western Cape politics, aligning himself with [[Populism|populist]] leaders like [[Winnie Madikizela-Mandela|Winnie Mandela]] and [[Peter Mokaba]] and campaigning militantly for the ANC ahead of the [[1994 South African general election|1994 general election]].<ref name="bbcriseandfall" />
==National Assembly==
In the April 1994 general election, South Africa's first under universal suffrage, Yengeni was elected to represent the ANC in the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]], the lower house of the new [[Parliament of South Africa|South African Parliament]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/13429370/south-africa-campaign-and-election-report-april-26- |title=South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994 |publisher=[[International Republican Institute]] |year=1994 |access-date=13 April 2023 |via=Yumpu}}</ref> He was also appointed as chairperson of Parliament's [[Joint Standing Committee on Defence]].<ref name="bbcriseandfall" /> At the ANC's [[49th National Conference of the African National Congress|49th National Conference]] in December 1994, Yengeni was elected for the first time to the ANC [[National Executive Committee of the African National Congress|National Executive Committee]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 1994 |title=49th National Conference: National Executive Committee as elected at Conference |url=https://www.anc1912.org.za/49th-national-conference-national-executive-committee-as-elected-at-conference/ |access-date=2021-12-04 |website=African National Congress |language=en-US}}</ref> He served on the committee throughout his tenure in Parliament, gaining re-election in [[50th National Conference of the African National Congress|December 1997]] and [[51st National Conference of the African National Congress|December 2002]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-11-10 |title=50th National Conference: NEC Election Results |url=http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=2451 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110194329/http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=2451 |archive-date=2014-11-10 |access-date=2021-12-10 |website=African National Congress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 2002 |title=50th National Conference: NEC Election Results |url=http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=2451 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110194329/http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=2451 |archive-date=2014-11-10 |access-date=2021-12-10 |website=African National Congress}}</ref>
Also during this period, Yengeni gained national attention for his July 1997 appearance at the [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]], where he cross-examined Jeffrey Benzien, a former member of the [[South African Police]], who had severely [[Torture|tortured]] him during his apartheid-era detention on terrorism charges. In a commission hearing, Yengeni asked Benzien to demonstrate the use of the "[[wet bag]]", a form of suffocation torture that Yengeni had been subjected to.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Jeremy |date=30 May 1999 |title=Picking Up the Pieces |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/99/05/30/reviews/990530.30hardint.html |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=New York Times}}</ref> Yengeni's comrade [[Mcebisi Skwatsha]] volunteered to act as the prisoner in the re-enactment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-07-14 |title=Cop demonstrates 'wet bag' torture |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1997-07-14-cop-demonstrates-wet-bag-torture/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> Later in the same hearing, Benzien accused Yengeni of having betrayed his ANC comrades, providing information about them under torture;<ref name=":2" /> Yengeni called this "bullshit".<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 July 1997 |title=Yengeni denies betraying comrades to the police |url=https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/media/1997/9707/s970714d.htm |access-date=2023-08-08 |website= |agency=[[SAPA]]}}</ref>
In November 1998, the ANC promoted Yengeni to succeed [[Max Sisulu]] as the [[Chief Whip of the Majority Party]] in the National Assembly. He resigned from that office on 4 October 2001, the day after he was arrested and charged with corruption.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-10-04 |title=Yengeni quits, moves to the backbenches |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2001-10-04-yengeni-quits-moves-to-the-backbenches/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> He remained an ordinary Member of Parliament until 5 March 2003, when he resigned from his seat after his fraud conviction;<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 March 2003 |title=Yengeni bids farewell to parliament |newspaper=IOL News |url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20030306133327570C475636 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719122115/http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/yengeni-bids-farewell-to-parliament-1.102540 |archivedate=19 July 2014}}</ref> his resignation followed reports that he had been encouraged to step down both by the [[Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa|Speaker of the National Assembly]], [[Frene Ginwala]], and by the ANC secretary-general, [[Kgalema Motlanthe]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-03-06 |title=Yengeni resigns in disgrace |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2003-03-06-yengeni-resigns-in-disgrace/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
==Arms Deal conviction==
{{main|South African Arms Deal}}
Yengeni was arrested in October 2001 and released on [[bail]] of R10 000 during an investigation by then National Director of Public Prosecutions, [[Bulelani Ngcuka]], into allegations of misuse of power by Yengeni and [[Jacob Zuma]]. According to the Sunday Times, EADS admitted that the company "helped" approximately 30 South African officials to obtain luxury vehicles. Yengeni was specifically charged with defrauding parliament by accepting a discount on a luxury car during the tendering process for a controversial arms deal while he was the member of a parliamentary committee reporting on the same deal. Yengeni pleaded "not guilty" and placed full-page advertisements proclaiming his innocence in all the Sunday newspapers (except ''[[The Sunday Times (South Africa)|The Sunday Times]]''). This was estimated to have cost the chief whip R250,000.<ref name=bbcriseandfall>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1577682.stm|first=Carolyn|last=Dempster|title=The rise and fall of Tony Yengeni|work=BBC News|date=2001-10-03}}</ref> Member of Parliament suggested that Yengeni was being offered up as a scapegoat for the [[South African Arms Deal|arms deal scandal]], so that others could avoid being charged.<ref>{{Cite news |author=van der Westhuizen, Christi |date=3 October 2001 |title=Was Yengeni told to surrender? |newspaper=News 24 |url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Was-Yengeni-told-to-surrender-20011003 |archiveurl=https://
Yengeni eventually entered into a [[plea agreement]] in which various corruption charges were dismissed in exchange for his pleading guilty to one count of fraud.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Yengeni appeal postponed |date=11 May 2004 |newspaper=[[Mail & Guardian]] |location=Johannesburg, South Africa |url=http://mg.co.za/article/2004-05-11-yengeni-appeal-postponed |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714142316/http://mg.co.za/article/2004-05-11-yengeni-appeal-postponed |archivedate=14 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2003, the court entered a conviction against Yengeni for fraud and sentenced him to four years in prison.<ref name="Carroll">{{Cite news |author=Carroll, Rory |title=ANC's apartheid-era hero jailed for fraud |date=19 March 2003 |newspaper=The Guardian |location=Manchester, UK |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/20/rorycarroll |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714232405/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/20/rorycarroll |archivedate=14 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Imprisonment ===
After failed appeals,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 August 2006 |title=Jail beckons for Yengeni |newspaper=[[Mail & Guardian]] |location=Johannesburg, South Africa |url=http://mg.co.za/article/2006-08-21-jail-beckons-for-yengeni |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714190126/http://mg.co.za/article/2006-08-21-jail-beckons-for-yengeni |archivedate=14 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Yengeni entered [[Pollsmoor Prison]] near Cape Town on 24 August 2006, was immediately transferred to more modern Malmesbury prison.
Yengeni was released on [[parole]] on 15 January 2007, after completing a mere four months of the four-year sentence.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Corrupt former ANC chief freed early from prison |date=16 January 2007 |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jan/16/mainsection.international1 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182329/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jan/16/mainsection.international1 |archivedate=14 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Senior Western Cape ANC leaders, including Mcebisi Skwatsha, were present at his release.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-15 |title=ANC leaders flock to Yengeni's release |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-15-anc-leaders-flock-to-yengenis-release/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> He continued to maintain his innocence, saying that prison was "a place that I was not supposed to be in the first place".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-15 |title=Unrepentant Yengeni walks free |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-15-unrepentant-yengeni-walks-free/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
=== Aftermath ===
In 2010, it came to light that Yengeni had failed, as required by the Companies Act, to inform the registration office of his fraud conviction, and had failed to remove himself as a director of registered companies. Yengeni was sued and had to withdraw as a director from six companies.<ref name="Struggle">{{Cite news |author=Parker, Faranaaz |date=13 August 2013 |title=Tony Yengeni: Struggle veteran to flawed politician |newspaper=[[Mail & Guardian]] |location=Johannesburg, South Africa |url=http://mg.co.za/article/2013-08-13-tony-yengeni-struggle-veteran-to-flawed-politician |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203454/http://mg.co.za/article/2013-08-13-tony-yengeni-struggle-veteran-to-flawed-politician |archivedate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
In 2013, additional documents came to light showing Yengeni's deeper involvement in the arms deal.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Brümmer, Stefaans |date=14 June 2013 |title=Revealed: Yengeni's R6-million 'kickback' agreement |newspaper=[[Mail & Guardian]] |location=Johannesburg, South Africa |url=http://mg.co.za/article/2013-06-14-00-revealed-yengenis-r6-million-kickback-agreement |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193435/http://mg.co.za/article/2013-06-14-00-revealed-yengenis-r6-million-kickback-agreement |archivedate=14 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Later political career ==
Upon his release from prison, Yengeni was expected immediately to resume his political activities, with the ANC saying that he had served his suspension from the party and would "be able to continue his contribution to building a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist society".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2007-01-18 |title=Back with a Zuma |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-19-back-with-a-zuma/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-16 |title=ANC hints at future role for Yengeni |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-16-anc-hints-at-future-role-for-yengeni/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> Indeed, even while in prison, Yengeni had accepted social visits from [[Jacob Zuma]] and [[Tokyo Sexwale]], both of whom presumably sought his help lobbying support in the Western Cape for their respective presidential campaigns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-15 |title=Balfour reads Yengeni the 'riot act' |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-15-balfour-reads-yengeni-the-riot-act/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-24 |title=What Tokyo said to Zuma |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-25-what-tokyo-said-to-zuma/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> As expected,<ref name=":3" /> Yengeni publicly endorsed Zuma's presidential bid, saying that, "He is a seasoned revolutionary and although he's not an angel, he has the gravitas, experience and intelligence to unite the organisation [the ANC]."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-12-14 |title=Yengeni: Why I back JZ |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-12-14-yengeni-why-i-back-jz/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
At the ANC's [[52nd National Conference of the African National Congress|52nd National Conference]], held in [[Polokwane]] in December 2007, Zuma was elected as ANC president, and Yengeni was re-elected to the party's 80-member National Executive Committee in 21st place.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Boyle, Brendan |date=21 December 2007 |title=Winnie Mandela tops ANC election list |newspaper=[[The Times (South Africa)|The Times]] |location=Johannesburg, South Africa |url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=666599 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002120731/http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=666599 |archivedate=2 October 2008}}</ref> He was also elected to a five-year term on the influential [[National Working Committee of the African National Congress|National Working Committee]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-01-08 |title=Who made it on to ANC's working committee? |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2008-01-08-who-made-it-on-to-ancs-working-committee/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> Over the next decade, he was re-elected to two further terms on the National Executive Committee, ranked 65th of 80 at the [[53rd National Conference of the African National Congress|53rd National Conference]] in December 2012 and ranked 50th of 80 at the [[54th National Conference of the African National Congress|54th National Conference]] in December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 2012 |title=Results of the elections for the ANC NEC 2012 |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/party/results-of-the-elections-for-the-anc-nec-2012 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Politicsweb |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 December 2017 |title=Meet the new ANC NEC |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/meet-the-new-anc-nec-20171221 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref> However, he tempered his support for Zuma, and by 2012 was believed to be actively working against Zuma's re-election bid.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-04-19 |title=Decoding Kgalema: Enigmatic pretender to the throne |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-19-the-deepthinking-enigma-who-is-pretender-to-throne/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2012-06-14 |title='Prove you're not a dictator': NEC in heated Zuma attack |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-06-14-nec-in-heated-zuma-attack/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> On one ANC meeting in June 2012, Yengeni reportedly verbally attacked Blade Nzimande during a heated argument about Zuma's leadership.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 June 2012 |title=Blade, Yengeni at war |url=https://www.news24.com/citypress/politics/blade-yengeni-at-war-20120616 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=City Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
In December 2017, Zuma was succeeded as ANC president by his deputy, [[Cyril Ramaphosa]], and Yengeni became a vocal critic of Ramaphosa in subsequent years, calling for him to step down over the [[2020 Phala Phala Robbery|Phala Phala scandal]] and openly opposing his re-election bid in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-05 |title=Ramaphosa doesn't deserve a second term: Yengeni |url=https://www.enca.com/news/ramaphosa-doesnt-deserve-second-term-yengeni |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=eNCA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Masuabi |first=Queenin |date=2022-11-13 |title=Ramaphosa shrugs off bid in NEC to oust him as ANC president, calls for unity and renewal |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-13-ramaphosa-shrugs-off-bid-in-nec-to-oust-him-as-anc-president-calls-for-unity-and-renewal/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> Also in 2022, the ANC's Electoral Commission announced that Yengeni himself would not be eligible to stand for re-election to the National Executive Committee, because his fraud conviction disqualified him under the new [[step-aside rule]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-10 |title=Yengeni disqualified from contesting ANC NEC positions ahead of national conference |url=https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/yengeni-disqualified-from-contesting-anc-nec-positions-ahead-of-national-conference/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=SABC News |language=en-US}}</ref> Yengeni successfully appealed the decision, arguing that his criminal record had been expunged,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-13 |title=Tony Yengeni appeals ban on standing for election at the ANC conference |url=https://mg.co.za/politics/2022-12-13-tony-yengeni-appeals-ban-on-standing-for-election-at-the-anc-conference/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ludidi |first=Velani |date=2022-12-14 |title=Tony Yengeni free to contest for ANC NEC position after winning appeal against disqualification |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-12-14-tony-yengeni-free-to-contest-for-anc-nec-position-after-winning-appeal-against-disqualification/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> but he was nonetheless dropped from the National Executive Committee at the ANC's [[55th National Conference of the African National Congress|55th National Conference]] in December 2022, having failed to gain sufficient nominations to appear on the ballot paper.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Masungwini |first=Norman |date=2 December 2022 |title=New ANC NEC ushers in new era as Cabinet ministers face exit |url=https://www.news24.com/citypress/politics/new-anc-nec-ushers-in-new-era-as-cabinet-ministers-face-exit-20221202 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=City Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Drunk driving charges==
In November 2007, Yengeni was arrested near [[Goodwood, Cape Town]] on suspicion of [[drunk driving]], which would constitute a violation of his parole conditions.<ref>{{Cite news |author1=Swart, Werner |author2=Ferreira, Anton |name-list-style=amp |date=27 November 2007 |title=Yengeni may go back to prison |newspaper=[[The Times (South Africa)|The Times]] |location=Johannesburg, South Africa |url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/SpecialReports/Political/Article.aspx?id=640455 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070616041730/http://www.thetimes.co.za/SpecialReports/Political/Article.aspx?id=640455 |archive-date=16 June 2007}}</ref> Yengeni said that he had only consumed flu medication.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-11-26 |title=Yengeni arrested for drunken driving |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-11-26-yengeni-arrested-for-drunken-driving/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> The case could not proceed because the blood sample was unfit to be taken for chemical analysis. This was because former Goodwood station commander, Siphiwo Hewana, allegedly gave an unknown person access to the blood sample.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Yengeni drunk-driving charges dropped|date=23 April 2008|newspaper=[[The Times (South Africa)|The Times]]|location=Johannesburg, South Africa|url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=754659|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423225050/http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=754659|archivedate=23 April 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 30 November 2009, in connection with this saga, Hewana was convicted of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 November 2009 |title=Yengeni cop found guilty |newspaper=News 24 |url=http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/20ce1207d5ab40cb8fdd3f614a7a355c/30-11-2009-11-01/Yengeni_cop_found_guilty |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914014717/http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Yengeni-cop-found-guilty-20091130 |archivedate=14 September 2014}}</ref> During Hewana's trial, Constable Charles Japhta alleged that Hewana told him he had instructions from Western Cape provincial police commissioner Mzwandile Petros<ref>{{Cite news |title=Commissioner gave order on Yengeni, says cop |date=18 June 2009 |newspaper=[[Mail & Guardian]] |url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-06-18-commissioner-gave-order-on-yengeni-says-cop |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706175655/http://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-18-commissioner-gave-order-on-yengeni-says-cop |archivedate=6 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> to change statements on the docket relating to the time that Yengeni had been arrested. Hewana also said Yengeni's parole conditions had banned him from being out on the streets after 10pm, nor was he permitted to consume liquor, whereas Yengeni had been pulled off the road about midnight.<ref>{{Cite news |title=I was asked to change Yengeni docket |date=17 June 2009 |newspaper=IOL News |url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20090617140048360C577057 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720052706/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/i-was-asked-to-change-yengeni-docket-1.446652 |archivedate=20 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Yengeni docket confused me: cop |date=19 June 2009 |newspaper=IOL News |url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20090619152815268C661289 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719174949/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/yengeni-docket-confused-me-cop-1.446944 |archivedate=19 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Hewana testified that he had been ordered by the commissioner of police in the Western Cape to make the changes.<ref name="Struggle" />
Yengeni was arrested for drunk driving again on 12 August 2013, this time in [[Green Point, Cape Town|Green Point]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-03 |title=Yengeni appears in court on drunk driving charges |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2014-06-03-yengeni-appears-in-court-on-drunk-driving-charges/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> and he was convicted in March 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-17 |title=Tony Yengeni found guilty of driving under influence |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2017-03-17-tony-yengeni-guilty-of-driving-under-influence/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
==
In 1984, Yengeni married [[Lumka Yengeni|Lumka Nyamza]] in [[Lusaka, Zambia]].<ref name=":0" /> They have two adult children together and have been separated since 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 February 2011 |title=Yengeni leaves his wife |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2011-02-20-yengeni-leaves-his-wife/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malatji |first=Ngwako |date=2022-02-27 |title=Yengeni files for divorce after years of separation |url=https://sundayworld.co.za/news/politics/yengeni-files-for-divorce-after-years-of-separation/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Sunday World |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
In January 2007, days after Yengeni's release from prison, the [[Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] said that it was investigating Yengeni for criminal [[animal cruelty]] on the grounds that his post-release celebrations had apparently included stabbing a bull with a spear before it was [[Ritual slaughter|slaughtered]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-22 |title=SPCA investigates Yengeni for animal cruelty |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-22-spca-investigates-yengeni-for-animal-cruelty/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> The [[Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities|Cultural, Religion and Linguistic Rights Commission]] defended Yengeni, saying that his actions were part of a cleansing ritual and therefore [[Constitution of South Africa|constitutionally]] protected.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-25 |title=Cultural body defends Yengeni over animal ritual |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-01-25-cultural-body-defends-yengeni-over-animal-ritual/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
==References==
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== External links ==
{{Portal|South Africa|Biography|Politics}}
* [https://omalley.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/site/q/03lv00017/04lv00018/05lv00336/06lv00338.htm Interviews] with [[Padraig O'Malley]] (1993–1997)
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/10/05/features/GUCCI.HTM |title=The 'Gucci socialist'|date=5 October 2001|newspaper=Dispatch Live (Times Media Group)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504224447/http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/10/05/features/GUCCI.HTM|archivedate=4 May 2006|url-status=dead}}
{{Clear}}
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[[Category:South African politicians convicted of fraud]]
[[Category:African National Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Corruption in South Africa]]
[[Category:UMkhonto we Sizwe personnel]]
[[Category:Politicians from Cape Town]]
[[Category:20th-century South African politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century South African politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa]]
[[Category:South African prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:People imprisoned on charges of terrorism]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of South Africa]]
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