Kodwa, Mabe in news for the wrong reasons

It was always to be expected in this season ahead of the May 8 South African elections – that allegations of impropriety of one kind or another would surface against one or more politicians, on any side of our multiparty democracy. The only questions were “when?” and “which politician(s) would be fingered?”. We now know that the spotlight has swung on to ANC spokespersons Pule Mabe and Zizi Kodwa, by all accounts on opposite sides of the internecine factionalism which besets the ruling party. Both men have been suspended from their duties by the party’s National Working Committee.

Mabe, the party’s national spokesperson, only recently returned to office after being cleared of sexual harassment allegations. He stated this week that he had never “sexually harassed anyone” and would go to the highest court in the land to prove his innocence.

Kodwa, the head of the presidency at Luthuli House, was accused at the weekend – and has denied – that, among other allegations, he raped a woman at a private function.

He called the allegations against himself “dirty tricks” and “political blackmail”.

It is tempting to assume that Kodwa is guilty of whatever claim has been made against him, given the manifold ethical failings of our political elites, and the lack of congruence between their public utterances and actions.

However, only a criminal procedure will determine the veracity of the claims made by a woman against Kodwa or his version of what happened, or did not happen. The fact that we are in an election season and that at least one of the parties to this matter is a politician must not change how we validate such contradictory claims.

In particular, we must recognise that there are rights on both sides of this matter, even if we get it wrong too often by siding with an alleged perpetrator.

Even without a public prosecution, Kodwa and the ANC must deal with the claims against him honestly and efficiently, or risk an early millstone around the necks of election campaigners which will only get heavier as election day looms.

Furthermore, if the Mabe case highlighted anything, it is that the ANC must put in place a defendable policy in respect of, and an equally robust procedure to deal with sexual harassment and abuse within its ranks.

ANC must deal honestly and efficiently with Kodwa rape claim or risk impacting election