Action over car run-over claim urged

Union joins call for Kiviet probe

THE National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in the Eastern Cape legislature has asked speaker Noxolo Kiviet in writing to probe claims that legislature secretary Vuyani Mapolisa drove over another legislature employee, Kumaro Gazo.

The incident, which happened four months ago, a few hours after the two had attended the Bafana Bafana and Angola international soccer game in East London on March 28, was brought to the attention of the provincial legislature when former staffer and union leader Kerr Hoho wrote to Kiviet urging her office to investigate the matter.

Hoho’s letter was also sent to the ANC in the institution, prompting the party and legislature chief whip Mzoleli Mrara to write to Kiviet, asking her how she would attend to the matter.

Mrara has given Kiviet until next week to inform the party what action she would take.

This week, Nehawu at the institution entered the fray. Union chairman Madoda Nkwali confirmed that they had also written to Kiviet, on Wednesday, asking her to speedily probe the matter.

However, Nkwali yesterday refused to talk further on the matter, saying he would prefer that Kiviet first respond to their letter before its contents were revealed to the public.

Kiviet could not be reached at the time of writing yesterday, while the legislature’s chief operations officer and acting administration head, Advocate Innocent Netshitumbu, failed to respond to questions at the time of writing. Numerous attempts to reach Mapolisa yesterday also failed. He did not return messages sent to his phone by Saturday Dispatch.

The newspaper last week reported that Mapolisa had knocked down Gazo with a Jeep Cherokee and then drove off the upmarket Bishop’s Estate in East London’s Beacon Bay.

This after Gazo allegedly stood in front of Mapolisa’s vehicle when Gazo wanted to leave Mapolisa’s residence after a short quarrel.

However, Saturday Dispatch has now been reliably told that Gazo was rushed to hospital in the company of Mapolisa, who is said to have been “very remorseful” and “nearly cried” after the freak accident.

It was reported last week that the matter had been kept under wraps. It was never reported to the police, while Gazo’s family members, who had asked for privacy, also refused to discuss the matter. — asandan@dispatch.co.za/ bonganif@dispatch.co.za