ANC must act decisively on harassment

THE ANC has a serious obligation to fight sexual harassment in the country and within its ranks to dispel the widely held belief that it is soft on perpetrators.

This comes after the party received a complaint by an employee at Luthuli House that ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe sexually harassed her.

The employee also alleged in a 14-page grievance letter addressed to ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte that she was hired without going through a job interview.

The ANC has had its fair share of sexual harassment complaints against its senior leaders. How the party deals with the latest scandal against Mabe will determine its seriousness to clampdown on gender based violence.

Other ANC leaders to be embroiled in sexual harassment include former Western Cape leader Marius Fransman and former parliamentary chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe.

The latter was fired by the party after he was found guilty of sexual harassment. Fransman is facing prosecution for the alleged sexual assault of his “personal assistant” in 2016.

Mabe’s announcement that he will step aside to give the party space to investigate the serious allegations against him, is a step in the right direction.

We expect the complainant to be treated with respect and dignity throughout this process.

We commend the complainant for filing a letter of grievance to the party. Its a brave move and it could not have been easy.

However, this is only the beginning. She must now report the matter to the law enforcement authorities.

It’s the right thing to do.