DA Bhisho chief whip gets the boot

Van Vuuren found guilty of sexual harassment

DISGRACED DA Bhisho Legislature chief whip Edmund van Vuuren has been expelled from the party after he was found guilty of sexually harassing a junior staffer.

The DA federal legal commission (FLC), which probed the allegations against the DA provincial heavyweight had recommended that his membership be suspended for a year. However, the party’s federal executive felt that would have been too lenient and decided to boot the former provincial chairman out of the party.

The decision was taken last weekend and was communicated to Van Vuuren and his victim on Monday. He was given 10 days to appeal the decision. But several attempts to get his comment proved unsuccessful yesterday as his phone rang unanswered – and he did not respond to a text message sent to him.

Federal chairman James Selfe confirmed to the Saturday Dispatch that Van Vuuren had been expelled.

Selfe said Van Vuuren had a constitutional right to appeal. Should he decide to appeal, the matter would be heard by the appeals committee which would then provide a final decision to the matter.

“Van Vuuren will cease being a member of the party and the Bhisho legislature chief whip,” said Selfe.

The complaint was filed by the DA woman following a telephone conversation on May 8 with Van Vuuren. Van Vuuren was acquitted on three other charges but was found guilty on one based on a recorded telephonic conversation.

The complainant claimed the MPL made inappropriate comments and questioned her about her sex life with her husband.

She said Van Vuuren had offered to stand in for her husband and satisfy her sexually “if necessary”.

The panel wrote: “The panel finds on a balance of probabilities that the charged member did make comments of an unacceptable nature to the complainant in the telephone call on May 8. His subsequent WhatsApp apology and telephone call in which he admits to making unacceptable, hurtful comments and the complainant’s immediate reaction and report of the call, push the balance of probability [towards] the version of the complainant.” — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za