The African National Congress in Gauteng has fired Merafong Municipal Executive Mayor, Maphefo Letsie and recalled Boysie Maneli from Parliament.
Letsie and Maneli have been fired for not taking action against municipal officials who were involved in the VBS bank corruption.
Maneli is the former Mayor of the West Rand Municipality. However the ANC provincial executive committee has cleared Johannesburg regional chairperson, Geoff Makhubo of any wrongdoing.
This follows an investigation by the ANC Integrity Committee.
Addressing the media in Johannesburg, Gauteng ANC secretary Jacob Khawe says, “The meeting received a report from the PIC about the investigation into allegations into impropriety conflict of interest against comrade Geoff Makhubo. The PIC finding is that although they could not find any acts of corruption, the PIC recommends that comrades Manelisi and Letsie should be help account for failure to take action against the officials.”
Eight accused in VBS case granted bail
The Palm Ridge Regional Court in Ekhuruleni granted bail of R100 000 to each of the eight accused in the VBS Mutual Bank in June.
In delivering his ruling in their bail application, Magistrate Brian Nemavhidi said in view of the state opposing bail, he did not deem it necessary to detain the applicants.
According to their bail conditions, the eight accused are not allowed to leave the borders of South Africa, they must hand over their passports, and may not apply for new passports and also not interfere with state witnesses.
The accused face 47 charges of fraud, racketeering, corruption, theft and money laundering which amounts to R2 billion. It is believed stokvel groups, pensioners and 20 municipalities lost billions of rands in the looting scheme.
In the video below, the accused appear in court:
ANC North West suspends membership of 15 councillors in Zeerust
The African National Congress (ANC) in North West has suspended the membership of its 15 councillors at the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in Zeerust.
The party accuses them of defying the caucus’ instructions by removing their mayor and the speaker and electing their preferred candidates.
The embattled Ramotshere Moiloa Municipality has been in the news for a while.
The municipal council recently elected a new Speaker, Municipal Mayor and her Mayoral Committee. This action is viewed by the ANC as ill-discipline.
The party has now taken action against all the implicated councillors.
A spokesperson for the ANC Interim Provincial Committee, Kenny Morolong says, “The interim Provincial Working Committee of the ANC in the North West province has resolved in accordance with rule 25.6 of the ANC constitution, to place on temporarily suspension 15 of its councillors deployed at the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality. These temporary suspensions shall remain in force until the finalisation of the disciplinary proceedings.”
Those implicated have refuted allegations of defying the party.
ANC’s Gauteng spokesperson Bones Modise on the firing of Maphefo Letsie and Boysie Maneli recalled from Parliament:
