ANC in rush for deadline

The ANC in the Eastern Cape is in a rush against time as the deadline to submit views on what has to be included in the party’s sexual harassment policy closes on Friday.

Sexual harassment claims have been made against some of the party’s senior leaders in recent years and weeks.

Western Cape’s senior ANC leader Marius Fransman remains suspended following claims of sexual harassment against him by 21-year-old Louisa Wynand.

She accuses Fransman of sexually harassing and assaulting her during a trip to the party’s 104th celebrations in Rustenberg in January 2016.

The suspended Western Cape ANC chair has yet to appear in court for the case.

More women have since come forward and registered sexual harassment cases with secretary general Ace Magashule’s office.

Late last year, an ANC employee in Luthuli House reported a case of sexual harassment against the party’s national spokesperson Pule Mabe.

However, an internal investigation into the matter found Mabe not guilty.

But the woman has now filed a case with police.

The ANC’s national working committee announced last week that both Mabe and Zizi Kodwa, who have been accused of rape, can no longer speak for the party.

No criminal case has been opened against Kodwa.

ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said in the light of some of the reported cases the party had decided to formulate its own sexual harassment policy.

He said there were two key contesting views on how to deal with such cases:

● There were those who strongly believe that police should be handling these matters; and

● others who felt strongly that there should be a clearly defined process of how to make a suspect account when such a case had been reported to ANC leaders.

“We are in agreement that society is faced with this social issue and therefore it is important that we craft a policy to guide the party.

“We have a deadline of Friday to wrap up the contribution of the ANC in [the] Eastern Cape.

“Once we are done, we will be able to discuss details of our submission and reasons thereof,” said Ngcukayitobi.

A workshop on the issue took place on Wednesday at the party’s provincial headquarters in Calata House in King William’s Town.