WITNESS TO POWER, a political memoir

Mathews Phosa (b. 1952) was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement, the UDF and the ANC, before going into exile in 1985 and becoming an Umkhonto weSizwe commander in Mozambique. He returned to South Africa in 1990 to help prepare the way for negotiations.

He was Premier of Mpumalanga (1994-1999), and was elected as a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC in 1999. In 2001 Phosa, Cyril Ramaphosa and Tokyo Sexwale, were investigated in connection with an alleged plot to oust President Thabo Mbeki. They were cleared. During the 2007 National Conference of the ANC held in Polokwane, where Jacob Zuma was elected as President of the ANC, Phosa became Treasurer-General. He ran for President of the ANC in 2017 but lost to Cyril Ramaphosa.