LISTEN: Gauteng ANC 'cleans up' ahead of elections
The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng has pronounced
itself ready to win back Johannesburg and Tshwane during next’s elections.
The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng has pronounced itself ready to win back Johannesburg and Tshwane during next’s elections.
The party's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) held a briefing in Saxonwold on Thursday, where it confirmed the resignation of former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former chief whip in the Gauteng Legislature Brian Hlongwa.
Hlongwa resigned as chief whip in October, stating that the allegations of corruption amounting to R1.2 billion and against him need to be dealt with and not cloud the work of the ANC.
Mahlangu faced the ANC’s integrity committee over her role in the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
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The ANC Gauteng’s deputy chairperson Panyaza Lesufi told journalists that the PEC took what is described as "a precautionary measure".
“We have taken a precautionary stance, which is what we have done, to say that because of the seriousness of the allegations Brian Hlongwa cannot lead the cause and he cannot lead the ANC. He remains a member of the ANC and a member of the legislature until this matter is cleared. The courts come to another decision, we will come back and review that decision.”
He said Hlongwa had indicated that he will respect any decision the ANC may take.
Sedibeng
The ANC provincial secretary, Jacob Khawe, also announced his resignation as Mayor of the Emfuleni Municipality in Sedibeng with immediate effect.
The ANC in the region has been calling for his resignation, stating he needs to focus on his duties as the ANC secretary which he assumed in July.
Khawe also announced that the PEC had decided to nullify the Sedibeng regional conference outcomes after a report into its irregularities by the ANC’s head of the organising subcommittee Senzo Mchunu.
The Emfuleni Council will sit on Friday to appoint a new mayor.
VBS Mutual Bank
The mayors of the Merafong Municipality and the West Rand Municipality have been referred to the ANC’s integrity committee for investments made in VBS Mutual Bank.
“The two mayors had already indicated to the office bearers that they wanted to go to the integrity committee before the PEC took that decision. We have been engaging on the West Rand issue to determine what has happened, to establish whether our political leaders were involved in giving instructions about to investments,” said ANC Gauteng chairperson David Makhura.
He said in the West Rand, it was established that all the decisions that were taken related to investments at VBS were administrative.
Makhura says the mayors still have to answer to the integrity committee as some decisions happened under their watch.