ANC tells Mahlangu, Hlongwa to step aside
The African National Congress’ (ANC) National Working Committee has recommended that Qedani Mahlangu and Brian Hlongwa step aside from the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).
The recommendation follows a report by the party’s integrity commission into their conduct.
The letter, sent to ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte, recommends that both step aside from the PEC with immediate effect.
Mahlangu was Gauteng MEC for Health during the Life Esidimeni tragedy in which more than 140 mentally ill patients lost their lives.
Her conduct came in for sharp criticism after a damning finding by retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke, during the commission of inquiry into the tragedy, that the decision to move the psychiatric patients was "irrational and unconstitutional”.
Her conduct was referred to the integrity commission.
Hlongwa, who is the ANC’s former chief whip in the Gauteng legislature, was implicated in a report by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) in May.
The report fingered Hlongwa and other officials in alleged corrupt activities totalling R1.2 billion. The allegations date back to when he was Gauteng Health MEC between 2006 and 2009.
Despite the dark clouds of the heads of Mahlangu and Hlongwa, both were elected to the top decision-making body in Gauteng at the ANC’s provincial conference in July.
The request for them to step down from the PEC does not affect their membership of the ANC.