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Gauteng Prime Minister David Makhura on the right, former Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku on the left, and suspended President Cyril Ramaphosa Khusela Diko’s spokesperson in the center. (Photos: Gallo / Alet Pretorius Images | Gallo / Sharon Seretlo Images | Flickr / GCIS | genrec.co.za | Twitter)
The Gauteng ANC has referred Bandile Masuku and Khusela Diko to the party’s provincial disciplinary committee for their role in awarding controversial PPE contracts, but as the ANC struggles to clean up its image, the saga appears far from over.
Months after the allegations emerged, the ANC’s Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) decided to refer former Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku and suspended presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko to the party’s provincial disciplinary committee to face charges related to controversial contracts. of PPE awarded to Diko’s husband, Thandisizwe Diko.
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“The PEC decided that Comrade Bandile Masuku and Comrade Khusela Diko should be referred to the ANC provincial disciplinary committee,” ANC Gauteng treasurer Parks Tau said Wednesday after an evening meeting of the PEC on Tuesday.
“In order to protect the integrity of the ANC and the affected comrades, the PEC further decided that Comrade Bandile and Comrade Khusela withdraw from the organizational activities pending the completion of the disciplinary process,” he added.
The decision to impeach Masuku and Diko, both members of the PEC, and suspend them from participating in ANC activities comes after the party’s national executive committee (NEC). adopted the line pushed by President Cyril Ramaphosa that members facing accusations of corruption should step aside.
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While the action taken against the pair appears to be in line with the party’s attempts to clean up its image, it also highlights the pitfalls and inconsistencies in the ANC’s new approach.
The PEC met in September to consider a report from the provincial integrity commission, which allegedly said the couple should step aside from their elected positions in the party.
At that meeting, the PEC showed up divided and decided that Masuku, his wife Loyiso Masuku, who is an MMC in Johannesburg, and Diko should remain on special leave while the provincial working committee (PWC) tried to fill in the gaps in the integrity commission report, which was said which had been inconsistent and lacking in detail.
The allegations against Loyiso Masuku could not be substantiated and she can return to work, the party said Thursday.
ANC Gauteng Provincial Chairman Panyaza Lesufi said the PEC had decided to act on the basis of reports from the working committee and the integrity commission.
The party also took note of Prime Minister David Makhura’s decision to dismiss Masuku based on a report from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), which found that he did not exercise administrative oversight regarding the PPE contracts.
The role of the ANC’s provincial and national integrity commissions is at the center of the party’s attempts to take action against comrades who face allegations of corruption or mismanagement, but lack sufficient resources and their recommendations are not binding.
In the case of Masuku and Diko, which has the potential to divide the party in the province, it appears that the ANC is playing it safe by using the disciplinary committee process, which has recently taken a backseat to the integrity commission. , but has clear guidelines of the party constitution.
Implementation of the NEC resolution that party members accused of corruption should step aside seems ad hoc at best. MP Bongani Bongo, facing criminal charges at Cape Town Magistrates Court, has refused to budge and remains at the head of Parliament’s home affairs portfolio committee.
On Tuesday, Tau stressed that the party must adhere to its constitution when disciplining its members. The PEC is still drafting the specific charges against Masuku and Diko and has not yet set a date for their disciplinary hearings.
“If there are criticisms around our rules, we have to take them into account and only the ANC conference can amend the constitution, but we cannot change the rules along the way,” he said.
Masuku has indicated that he plans to go to court to challenge the SIU report that led to their removal as Gauteng Health MEC and Tau suggested that the party should act carefully, saying “you don’t want to skip a step in your own organization.”
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Masuku commissioned his own investigation into the allegations against him and the report, compiled by investigator Paul O’Sullivan, cleared him of wrongdoing. Gauteng leaders of the ANC said they had only considered party and state investigations.
The ANC is searching a legal opinion on how members accused of corruption should be asked to step aside and Lesufi said there was an urgent need to develop “the guidelines – who should step aside, when, how,” which he said. to be discussed at the next party meeting. policy conference.
Many leadership positions in the Gauteng health department are vacant following recent PPE allegations and the provincial ANC said it wants Makhura to appoint a new health MEC immediately.
The prime minister had said that he would not name a replacement until the SIU investigation is complete and that he would “gladly” reappoint Masuku if he is acquitted of the corruption allegations.
Tau said: “The PEC is concerned that for more than a decade this department has had persistent structural and institutional weaknesses that have led to some of these problems that we are experiencing, including corruption and mismanagement.”
Four former Gauteng health officials showed up in court on Thursday on charges related to R1.2 billion in alleged corruption, dating back to 2007 under the leadership of former MEC Brian Hlongwa.
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Responding to the allegations and speculation about his possible arrest, Hlongwa said News 24, “We are talking about something that happened 13 years ago. Why should I be arrested? I have nothing to say.” DM
