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By Sihle Mavuso 
10h ago
Durban – The ANC in KZN is considering asking more than 10 provincial leaders to withdraw from their work and party activities until they have been cleared by the courts or the Integrity Commission.
The provincial executive committee (PEC) began its monthly meeting on Sunday, ratifying a list of members presented to it by the provincial working committee (PWC), which had met earlier in the weekend.
ANC provinces across the country are scrambling to finalize lists of such members so they can be submitted to the commission to issue subpoenas, as enabled by a recent decision from the national executive committee (NEC).
Among those who have confirmed that they have been summoned are General Secretary Ace Magashule, Party Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa, Nomvula Mokonyane, Gwede Mantashe and Thandi Modise.
It is unclear when the commission chaired by George Mashamba would begin convening members. Efforts to obtain clarity from ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe were unsuccessful.
Independent Media understands that in addition to former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede and Provincial Vice President Mike Mabuyakhulu, who was asked to step aside two weeks ago, more senior leaders would face a similar fate.
Among them are believed to be uMlazi councilor and CR17 key lobbyist ahead of the 2017 Nasrec conference Sithenjwa Nyasowe, Nomthandazo Shabalala and Grace de Lange. They are all councilors of the municipality of eThekwini.
They were arrested in December last year after the state alleged that they received bribes after manipulating the waste collection tenders in their halls.
“It is going to be a heated meeting, as those who have not been indicted by the courts face mere accusations in the public domain. They will argue that they are being defamed.
“But I think that eliminating those with pending court cases will be easy for the PEC as they have already been ordered to step aside,” said a party informant.
Provincial spokesman Nhlakanipho Ntombela confirmed that the question of the members who are supposed to appear before the integrity commission and who are to leave will be resolved in the coming days.
“We’re looking at 12-13 members who will be asked to step aside. The PWC has drawn up a report, which will be discussed by the PEC and finalized, ”he said.
Ntombela said one of the challenges they had as PWC in drafting the list was that along the way, some members facing charges were acquitted and had to be removed from the list.
“For example, there was a colleague from uThukela who had a pending court case but, on Friday, he was acquitted. That meant we had to modify the draft report accordingly, ”he said.
The PEC meeting, which will conclude later today, is also expected to receive a report from a committee chaired by former KZN Prime Minister Willies Mchunu and tasked with investigating allegations against three accused party heavyweights. Of abusing their powers and influence.
The three heavyweights are PEC member and KZN legislator Jomo Sibiya, Newcastle Mayor and eMalahleni regional chairman Dr. Ntuthuko Mahlaba, and Cogta Sipho Hlomuka MEC and provincial deputy secretary.
The investigation was commissioned after an anonymous letter circulated online alleging that Sibiya got a woman pregnant and then forced her to have an abortion.
The abortion was reportedly carried out under false pretenses in an office owned by Mahlaba, a friend of Sibiya and Hlomuka.
Hlomuka was dragged into the investigation as an accomplice, who allegedly knew about the woman’s deception.
It is understood that the woman was subsequently arrested for allegedly posing as a doctor and working in one of the provincial government hospitals.
Earlier, Sibiya, Mahlaba and Hlomuka said that the ANC should be given space to conclude the investigation, and that they were ready to cooperate when called upon to do so.
Political Bureau
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