MEC ‘has paid price’ for rant
THE Gauteng ANC says its MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, has paid the price for her racist rants against two senior “white and Indian” government officials in March this year.
The ANC was reacting to its own provincial integrity committee report, compiled by Trevor Fowler, which found Mazibuko guilty of behaviour unbecoming of an ANC member.
Yesterday, the Gauteng ANC denied reports that it had outrightly rejected the Fowler report’s recommendation to remove Mazibuko as a MEC following her racist rants at senior Arts and Culture officials ahead of the May 8 national elections this year.
Gauteng ANC spokesperson Bones Modise said Mazibuko had served her sentence by apologising to the affected officials, and she had also appeared before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and apologised.
In March, Mazibuko, while MEC for Arts and Culture, accused two senior officials – one of them, Monica Newton, HOD for Arts and Culture – of sabotaging the ANC’s plans to win the May 8 elections.
She accused the two of having failed to facilitate the construction of “combi courts”, which Mazibuko allegedly wanted to use to help campaign for the ANC in Gauteng.
In her disparaging remarks, captured in a video clip, Mazibuko is heard telling the two that it was only in her department that whites and Indians occupied senior positions.
She said none of the departments, including Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s office, had white and Indian people in senior positions. She ordered the two to resign if they failed to deliver the “combi courts”.
Fowler tabled the integrity committee report to the PEC over the weekend, recommending the removal of Mazibuko as MEC, but the top officials and provincial executive committee were of the view that the MEC had already paid the price for her rants.
Gauteng ANC spokesperson Bones Modise said his party was unanimous that Mazibuko had already taken steps to comply with the recommended punitive measures.
“She immediately tendered her unreserved public apology to the affected officials and to the public at large, and also appeared before the HRC,” Modise said.
The ANC has also come out in defence of former West Rand District Municipality mayor, Boycie Maneli, and incumbent Merafong Local Municipality mayor in Carletonville, Maphefo Mogale-Letsie, whose municipalities had “illegally” invested with VBS Mutual Bank.
Fowler’s committee asked the ANC to remove Letsie as mayor and also wanted Maneli to be recalled as an ANC MP following his election after the May 8 elections.
But the ANC wants those recommendations to be placed on ice until its national office pronounces on actions against all municipalities and officials who were accused of having illegally invested with VBS.
“On the investment into VBS Mutual Bank by two West Rand municipalities, the PEC noted the fact that there is a process at a national level to get to the bottom of this matter. Once that process has been concluded, a special PEC meeting will be called,” Modise said.