Mabuyakhulu removed from list

ANC deputy chairperson is accused of R28m fraud

Embattled ANC deputy chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal Mike Mabuyakhulu has removed his name from the list of candidates vying for positions in parliament and legislatures, the party said yesterday.

ANC provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli said Mabuyakhulu had stepped aside because “he believes that the ANC, its public image, integrity and reputation are more important than our own interests as its members”.

Mabuyakhulu is one of 16 people accused of defrauding the KZN government of about R28m by paying for the Netherlands-based North Sea Jazz Festival.

“The decision to request for a temporary withdrawal from the current list processes until the completion of the court case, is premised on the commitment to jealously safeguard the interests of our movement,” said Ntuli.

The KZN deputy chairperson said earlier this week that he believed the fraud and racketeering charges levelled against him were part of an orchestrated political campaign to exclude him from holding public office.

In his letter to the provincial executive committee, which was read out at a party media briefing, Mabuyakhulu thanked ANC members and branches across the province for expressing their confidence by electing him as number three on the list for deployment to the country’s leadership structures, including the provincial legislature.

“However, I would like to request a temporary recusal from the provincial list until I have dealt with pending allegations that are before the courts of law. The request comes from my deep moral conviction and political consciousness, which informed me that we all have a duty to ensure that [the] ANC lives to inspire hope among the general electorate,” Mabuyakhulu said.