Political Analyst Lukhona Mnguni says a loophole has been created to bypass the African National Congress’s (ANC) step-aside resolution.
A special meeting of the ANC’s NEC in March resolved to allow members who faced criminal charges and stepped aside to attend sittings in legislative bodies and committees. This is contained in a letter signed by the party’s Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula.
This comes after criticism that former Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa had been sworn in as a member of Parliament for the ANC on Tuesday despite facing corruption charges.
Kodwa appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court earlier this month.
Mnguni says, “It appears in this instance, somebody has created some loophole because effectively, there’s no integrity committee report on Zizi Kodwa that prevents him from being sworn in as a member of parliament.”
“Legally, of course, there’s nothing wrong with him being sworn in, but I think as part of what you may deem the renewal process of the ANC, there’s no doubt in my mind that the ANC is always going to struggle to do this renewal because the stock of cadreship it has is not one that is inspiring, untainted,” he explains.
Mnguni adds. “The ANC, once this controversy of the government of national unity it is putting together has gone away, it has to go back to its organisational discipline, ask itself very serious questions and there is a likelihood that we might see Zizi Kodwa himself having to step aside again from Parliament, as a member of parliament.”
