Panel to seal fate of Mkolo
New ANC regional chair faces uncertainty after election controversy
The ANC’s national integrity commission will in October announce on whether newlyelected ANC Dr WB Rubusana chair Pumlani Mkolo was able to stand for election.
This after the national integrity commission (NIC) shelved discussions on the legitimacy of him sitting as chairperson given that the NIC had suspended his party membership pending a court case.
NIC chairperson Sindisa Mfenyana said: “We have shelved discussions of all the reports for our next meeting on October 5 where we will also be conducting a workshop on how to deal with these issues.
“Literally every province had a letter that needed the attention of the integrity commission. We also had outstanding issues from the previous term,” said Mfenyana.
On June 23 2014, Mkolo was suspended and banned from taking part in any further ANC activities. This was after he was arrested along with former Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Ncitha, fellow senior ANC councillors at the time Sindiswa Gomba and Luleka Simon-Ndzele, for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of more than R5.9-million earmarked for Nelson Mandela's memorial services after the former statesman died in December 2013.
The NIC instructed Mkolo to step down from his position, pending the outcome of the trial.
He was instructed not to take part in the party's activities for the 2016 local elections and any organisational activities until the matter was finalised in Court.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Mkolo was nominated in several branch general meetings as regional chairperson, and the party has yet to explain his standing as an ANC member.
Mfenyana said all cases reported by provinces, including Mkolo's case, were shelved for the October NIC meeting, for further deliberations.
On Tuesday the nine-member committee sat for the first time since its announcement in June.
The commission is tasked with investigating members who harm the party's image through corruption or unethical behaviour. It does not have to wait for the accused members to appear in court before starting an investigation.