13 KZN ANC members on ‘step aside’ list

TWO weeks before the ANC’s “step aside” rule comes into effect, the KwaZulu-Natal branch has submitted 13 names of members who have to do so.

The party’s provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, said yesterday that the final decision on who should step aside would be taken by the party’s national executive committee. Although Ntuli did not reveal the names or alleged offences of the members, it is understood that some of them face charges including rape, murder, corruption, attempted murder, stock theft, theft, driving under the influence of alcohol, the illegal carrying of firearms and charges relating to fraudulently earning child support grants. A large portion are councillors in eThekwini.

However, the governing party faces a dilemma on what to do with the likes of former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and former MEC and deputy provincial chairperson Mike Mabuyakhulu, who were previously cleared by the provincial integrity commission.

Some of Gumede’s supporters said that forcing Gumede to step aside for the second time would be unfair – like trying a person twice for the same offence.

Efforts to contact Gumede, who is facing corruption, money laundering and fraud charges, yielded no results.

Mabuyakhulu is facing corruption charges in connection with the botched North Sea Jazz Festival of 2012.

At national level, the biggest dilemma for the governing party comes from the supporters of secretary-general Ace Magashule, who are urging him to dig in his heels and not to step aside.

Apparently, the branches are emboldened by reports coming out of Nkandla that former president Jacob Zuma allegedly told Magashule not to step aside and instead to tell the party to call a special conference or convene the national general council.

Magashule did not respond when asked about the rumours that Zuma advised him to stick around.