Under-fire Botes has change of heart
AFTER THE ANC threatened to charge the Northern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs, Alvin Botes, and render him unemployed, he has apparently had a change of heart and has agreed to be redeployed to Parliament.
His spokesperson at the Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs, Xhanti Teki, had however not confirmed Botes’ resignation as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) at the time of going to press.
Botes was served with a notice to attend a disciplinary committee meeting on Friday, but the hearing was postponed to December 5 at the ANC provincial offices.
Botes has repeatedly defied instructions to be redeployed to the National Assembly.
He was issued with an ultimatum to present himself to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament (MP) by no later than November Northern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs, Alvin Botes. 24, upon instruction by the Provincial Deployment Committee.
During a national radio interview on Friday, Botes had indicated that he had come to the “broad realisation of the intention for him to strengthen another area of government”.
He added that a particular matter that needed to be addressed had been “amicably addressed”.
ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga stated yesterday that Botes would still be subjected to disciplinary steps for his defiance.
“The ANC had given Botes another opportunity to accept his redeployment to the National Assembly on November 24. The PEC (Provincial Executive Committee) has decided to charge Botes and his hearing will sit on December 5,” said Ngxanga.
He added that the ANC reserved the right to deploy and redeploy its members.
“The PEC will redeploy Patrick Mabilo to the legislature as soon as we have a vacancy at the legislature.”
On November 16, Ngxanga had advised Botes in writing that his failure to report to the National Assembly was posing serious challenges for the ANC.
“Comrade Patrick Mabilo resigned as an MP in line with his redeployment to the provincial legislature. The fact that you have not yet resigned as an MPL means that Mabilo cannot be sworn in because there is no vacancy.
“This literally renders him unemployed. The ANC suffered damages because it had to pay Mabilo’s monthly salary as a result of your failure to resign as an MPL.
“Failure to present yourself to be sworn in before or on November 24 will mean that you forfeit the opportunity to be redeployed to the National Assembly. The PEC will proceed to fill the vacancy with any other comrade willing to serve the ANC in that capacity.”
While the Speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature was previously threatened with legal action for failing to convince Botes to resign as an MPL, his office has refrained from commenting on the matter.
The spokesperson for the Office of the Speaker, Mpho Masina, stated that the Speaker “did not wish to deal with internal organisational matters in the media”.
“Discussions with the ANC are still in progress and once a conclusion has been reached, all official information will be communicated.”