The Eastern Cape’s Provincial Executive Committee plans to replace Councillor Andile Lungisa on Monday. He was convicted of assaulting Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Rano Kayser during a council meeting two years ago.
The National Executive Committee recommended that he should step down but Lungisa remains defiant and refuses to resign.
The Provincial Executive Committee stands by the instructions of the NEC, saying Lungisa must step down with immediate effect.
He was convicted of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and sentenced to two years imprisonment.
The African National Congress (ANC) took a resolution during its 53rd National Conference at Nasrec, that members facing allegations of improper conduct, must not hold public office.
Lungisa says:”I am simply saying you cannot ask a person who has not committed any crime and then you say they must resign. That’s why I say the matter will be clarified internally, in order for me to resign.”
He has filed an application to appeal his conviction and sentence at the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda.
But the NEC dug its heels in. Should he remain defiant the PEC says it will resort to disciplinary action.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi says: “We are expecting that the regional executive to give us a report. We are sitting next week on Monday, definitely we will be getting a report.”
“Now it’s almost two weeks that that particular decision was supposed to be implemented. If it’s not implemented then we will take another cause of action.”
The ANC’s Regional Secretary Themba Xathula says the Regional Executive Council has done all it was instructed to do and submitted a letter to Lungisa telling him to step down.
Provincial Secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi says Lungisa’s replacement will also be discussed on Monday.
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