Motsepe denies presidential ambitions amid 'PM27' campaign rumours

Billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe has, for the first time, come out publicly to deny reports that he is running for political office.

There have been suggestions from African National Congress (ANC) circles that Motsepe could throw his hat in the ring as a candidate to replace his brother-in-law, Cyril Ramaphosa, as the party’s president in next year’s national elective conference.

Addressing shareholders of his company, African Rainbow Minerals, earlier on Friday, Motsepe shut down rumours that he has ambitions for political office.

For a very long time, Motsepe has maintained close ties with the ANC, attending events and donating millions to the party (he also donates to many other political parties).

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Over the past couple of months, there has been an emergence of the ‘PM27’ campaign, an effort aimed at making him the ANC’s next president. T-shirts have been printed with the slogan, and more recently, a website, pm27.org.za, has popped up.

Motsepe said he has no idea who the people behind this are.

“I ignore these things. It’s false, unfounded. I would never go and fund people to buy t-shirts. PM 27 could also mean post-meridian.”

Motsepe said he believes the people behind the ‘PM 27’ campaign are trying to ‘tarnish’ his name for their own political motivations.