The ANC in the North West has expelled two out ten of its councillors who defied its instructions at the troubled Ditsobotla Local municipality in Lichtenburg. The party’s Provincial Executive Committee, PEC, made the announcement in Lichtenburg following a lengthy disciplinary proceeding against the defiant members.The members are accused of undermining the authority of the party and bringing it into disrepute. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour ANC Provincial spokesperson Tumelo Maruping said councillors faced several charges relating to the gravity of their misconduct, with the party arriving at a conclusion suitable for their misconduct following their representations and defence.
“There are different sanctions that are meted out against the ten councillors who appeared before the party’s Provincial Disciplinary Committee (PDC). Two of them Mazwi Moruri and Jaros Modisakeng who imposed themselves as the mayor and the council speaker respectively are expelled from the party.The remaining eight councillors, two of them have been fined R30 000 each within a period of 30-days failing which they will be suspended for five years from the party, and the remaining six councillors have also been fined R30 000 payable within a period of 30-days failing which they will be expelled,” said Maruping. Maruping sought to explain why an immediate expulsion sanction was imposed on Moruri and Modisakeng.
“You would recall the two councillors were summoned to the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg, Luthuli House together with the caucus and the NEC deployees to the North West to try and caution them that what they’re doing is wrong after they have imposed themselves both as the mayor and the speaker.They were then requested to resign from those positions, and they defied that instruction. They were summoned to the second meeting initiated by the PEC held at the JB Marks Municipal council chamber where they were made to resign but still failed to process those resignations with the Municipal Manager at the municipality.So those continued defiance aggravated the situation hence their sanction is different from those imposed on other comrades,” explained Maruping. ANC said that it hopes the sanctions will deter other councillors and all its deployees in various government positions to toe the party line.
“We are hoping this sanction will do that, but the calibre of comrades we sometimes have after their elevation to positions turn to be something else.So, we are hoping this will send a message to other councillors and not only councillors but every deployee of the ANC in different responsibilities.It will send a signal to say the ANC is very serious about issues of discipline.It is very serious about issues of complying with the party mandate and I hope this will make sure that other deployees of the party don’t repeat a similar mistake,” warned the spokesperson.
Furthermore, Maruping said that there are many cases that are still before the PDC which are of similar nature which they are processing and therefore appealing to every member of the party to encourage the deployees to conform to the ANC constitution and other policy positions of the party. “In terms of appendix three of the party constitution, the expelled members have a right within 48hrs after this decision is communicated to them to appeal their expulsion with the National Disciplinary appeals committee, which will suspend our sanction up until the appeal is concluded,” he concluded.
