Troubled ANC Eastern Cape leader Pumlani Mkolo has been banned from making public statements on behalf of the ruling party.
This is contained in a 20-page national disputes resolution report crafted by ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, which was handed to provincial leaders earlier this week.
“The ANC integrity commission made clear recommendations to the ANC NEC [national executive committee] and the NEC, through the SG [Ace Magashule], communicated this to comrade Mkolo,” said Duarte.
“The recommendation stated that comrade Mkolo must be removed and discouraged from taking any leadership, neither position nor speak, on behalf of the ANC at any level until his name and those who he is accused with on the matter of the Nelson Mandela memorial saga is cleared in a court of law.”
Mkolo is one of those facing criminal charges for allegedly swindling millions earmarked for the Mandela funeral in December 2013.
The Daily Dispatch first reported on the Integrity Commission’s recommendations in 2016 before Mkolo was asked “to step aside” in February that same year. Mkolo appealed the decision then.
In 2017, during the Nasrec conference, delegates did not object to his nomination to the NEC. However, he failed to secure enough votes for the 80-member executive.
Mkolo then made a comeback in the build-up to the August 2018 elective regional conference after being nominated by some Dr WB Rubusana branches to become regional chairman. Duarte and committee members visited the region twice after the regional conference. In her report on Mkolo, Duarte said: “The ANC NEC and PEC must urgently implement the recommendation by ensuring that all those implicated can get closure on the matter.”
Mkolo has confirmed that he lodged an appeal with the office of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule last Thursday.
“It will be important that we re-emphasise the recommendation by the IC that [Mkolo] steps aside as a regional chairperson until his appeal to the NEC is concluded and a pronouncement is made,” said Duarte.
The integrity commission also investigated complaints from several branches, who raised issue with the fact that 229 delegates had voted instead of 223.
Duarte said she found that the inconsistency was due to delegates of one branch deciding to take part in the election at the 11th hour.
She said the only mistake the credentials committee made was in not giving an update on the numbers before the adoption of credentials.
“The NEC shall accept and confirm the elected REC of Dr WB Rubusana while noting there were errors which did not materially [affect] the outcomes of the elections,” Duarte said. ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi issued a statement confirming they had seen the report and that the resolutions would be communicated with affected branches in due course...