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ANC deputy Bongani Bongo took a 180-degree turn and said he will not step aside as chairman of the parliament’s home affairs portfolio committee, nor of the ANC’s national executive committee.
This was despite the fact that Bongo had indicated earlier in the week that he would step down from both roles under pressure from his party leaders because he is due to go to trial next year on corruption charges.
Bongo told the Sunday Times on Friday that he has written to his party bosses asking them to explain the legal basis for asking him to stay away, although no court has found him guilty of anything at this time.
He said it was only poor health that had prevented him from fulfilling his parliamentary duties this week.
“I am not against stepping aside … stepping aside must have clear terms of reference because it is not based on the ANC constitution and the country’s constitution,” he said on Friday.
“The person who says I should step aside should write to me and tell me what this means so that when I go to court, I will present that thing.”
The controversial deputy said the ANC’s written clarity would be helpful in case the court asked him if he had stepped aside as “his own conviction” or because his conscience told him it was the right thing to do.
“I have to say, ‘no, my organization that I represent wrote this to me,’” he said.
