Mabilo’s swearing in put on ice
THE ANC will have to continue to fork out for former Member of Parliament Patrick Mabilo’s salary, as he could not be sworn in as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) yesterday.
The legislature has postponed the ceremony “until further notice”.
Mabilo would have replaced the suspended ANC Frances Baard regional chairperson Dr Thapelo Dithebe in the legislature.
Lawyers letters from Towell and Groenewaldt Attorneys were sent to the ANC Provincial Executive Committee and Northern Cape Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, threatening to obtain an interdict to prevent Dithebe’s unlawful and irregular removal.
The legislature on Tuesday had instructed Dithebe to vacate the legislature as he was ‘no longer an ANC member”.
The letter stated that the ANC had wrongly advised the Speaker’s Office that based upon the guilt finding of the tribunal, Dithebe had relinquished his position in the legislature and that he had been recalled by the party.
The letter pointed out that the deadline to appeal his conviction and sanction only lapsed on December 13, 21 days after Dithebe had been informed about the outcome of his disciplinary hearing on November 22, where he had submitted his appeal on December 4.
ANC Youth League (ANCYL ) regional task team (RTT) co-ordinator Sandiseni Mabaso stated that a new disciplinary committee would have to be elected to deal with Dithebe’s appeal, after the ANC national elective conference this weekend.
“The deliberate attempt to remove Dithebe ahead of the national conference has been thwarted. He was subjected to a kangaroo court on trumped up charges.”
He added that spokesperson for the executive mayor Gregory Seleke has suffered a similar fate.
Seleke has been placed on suspension for two months on charges of inciting members of the public and bringing the office of the mayor into disrepute.
“Seleke is a member of the ANCYL RTT who has also been vocal in supporting Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be elected as the incoming ANC president.
“His duties were taken over by an official from the housing section at Sol Plaatje Municipality even before he was suspended.”
Sithole stated that Seleke was falsely charged for instigating the community in ward 8 for trying to remove their ward councillor – Charles Ngoma.
“Seleke is innocent, he was never there. I personally met with the residents in ward 8 and advised them to resolve the matter among themselves. The factions wanted to get rid of him because he did not want to give a message of support for the newly elected ANC regional chairperson Mangaliso Matika during the regional conference, who also happens to be his boss at the municipality.
“Now he is being punished because his loyalties have been questioned as he never pronounced which leader he was supporting at the regional conference.”
He believed that Seleke’s suspension was “yet another act of purging”.
“This follows the forced resignation of Dawid Rooi as an MPL, whose only crime was to exercise his democratic right of contesting for the ANC deputy Provincial Secretary at the Provincial conference in Colesberg. Alvin Botes was also spared no punches, with a sustained attempt to purge him for the same reasons.”
Sithole stated that they had requested the ANC national office to review the outcomes of both the regional and Provincial elective conferences in the Province.
“No one can claim to be a legitimate leader. Once Dlamini-Zuma is elected as ANC President they must tell us if our concerns are authentic or not. I don’t think that Dlamini-Zuma will disband the PEC because they have been supporting deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa.”
He stated that supporters of Dlamini-Zuma were being silenced by factions.
“We have witnessed the disgusting manner in which the PEC has factionalised political processes of our organisation since taking office in May. They have presided over the establishment of 48 parallel branches in Frances Baard, driving the organisation to a state of paralysis in our region.”
ANC Womens League Frances Baard region chairperson Roseline Tyler indicated that they had also intervened in preventing the “irrational and malicious” removal of Dithebe from the legislature.
“The REC was unlawfully replaced because it has been unflinching in its support for Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to emerge as the ANC President and as the ANC Women’s League.
“The intended redeployment of Alvin Botes is nothing but an orchestrated plan to capture and loot the state for self enrichment.
“Interestingly, the plan to remove our regional chairperson has hit a snag at the altar of the dinner table that was set for Patrick “ghost” Mabilo, as his debts are mounting.”
ANC spokesperson Naledi Gaosekwe said the PEC had, up until late last night, not been notified about Dithebe’s appeal.
“After learning about his appeal the ANC gave instruction to the legislature to postpone the swearing-in of Mabilo until further notice. As per the constitution of the ANC a member has the right to appeal the outcomes of the disciplinary hearing with the national disciplinary committee.The swearing-in will be postponed until the appeal has been concluded.”
“The assumption that comrades are being purged is devoid of all truths. We are unable to speak on the matter of Gregory Seleke, as we do not know the merits of his case. We are by no means purging Comrade Dithebe.”
Gaosekwe pointed out that the national conference of the ANC had no bearing on the work of government.
“Any work that needs to take place during the period of the national conference will take place. The work of the legislature and government still needs to operate and as far as we know work is continuing.”
She added that the disciplinary hearing of Alvin Botes, who has been charged for defiance, for refusing to be deployed to the national assembly, would continue on December 22.