Cape Town - As the ANC in the Western Cape attempts to sweep the decks clean ahead of its upcoming provincial conference, it is faced with legal and disciplinary challenges with regards to recently convicted MPLs Danville Smith and Andile Lili.
Smith, who was last week charged with theft of motor vehicles and fraud along with two foreign nationals, had voluntarily stepped aside from the ANC last year in a separate matter, after appearing in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on allegations of fraud and corruption.
He has since been served with a letter informing him that he will be replaced as an MPL following his latest legal troubles.
Meanwhile, after a court case that dragged on for seven years, Lili was in May convicted on two counts, which include incitement to murder and illegal gathering. He has said he would appeal the verdict.
The party’s Interim Provincial Working Committee (IPWC) convener, Lerumo Kalako, said on Tuesday that the committee had summoned Lili, and has meanwhile referred the matter to the ANC’s integrity commission.
Lili is expected to submit to the internal process, after which a report will be tabled before the committee for a final decision on the matter on an urgent basis.
With regard to Lili’s stepping aside, Kalako said: “Lili will not be stepping aside at least not until the provincial ANC receives the response of the party’s national integrity committee on his case.”
The issue of Dullah Omar region branch secretary Bulelani Yosana, who was arrested in May for the killing of Bloekombos Secondary school teacher Vuyo Duna in February, was also discussed by the committee.
Kalako said: “The working committee has temporarily suspended Yosana’s membership and has initiated a process to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee for adjudication.”
He said the ANC in the province regarded these matters in a very serious light and would act decisively to protect its image and integrity and will not be associated with acts of criminality that border on the very standing of the ANC in society.
“As such, the ANC distances itself and its membership from the ongoing court processes, while we continue to respect the rules of natural justice and the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.“
Reached for comment with regard to Smith and Lili, DA chief whip Lorraine Botha said: “These events highlight that the ANC is full of hot air when it comes to dealing with corruption and criminality within its ranks.”
The party which has to hold its provincial conference by August this year is also concerned about the coalitions it entered in municipalities across the province following last year’s municipal elections.
Kalako said the committee was taking stock of the ongoing coalition governments in various municipalities where the ANC governs.
“We have begun a process of making an assessment of how these coalitions serve the interest of service delivery in the province and whether the ANC manifesto is best served in these communities that have elected the ANC as a majority organisation,” Kalako said.
With regards to the upcoming conference ANC Western Cape interim provincial committee coordinator Ronalda Nalumango told the media briefing that the party needed to get 70% of its branches in the province to hold their branch conferences before it could set a date for the provincial conference.
“Of course all of our regions are really pushing hard to achieve this,” Nalumango said.