The Gauteng ANC’s provincial working committee announced on Monday that it has suspended member of the provincial legislature Molebatsi Bopape.
“Her suspension is related to her conduct at the Gauteng provincial legislature on September 29 and 30 2016 respectively which amounted to her undermining the political authority of the ANC caucus of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and its leadership,” the ANC said in a statement.
The suspension relates to a dramatic meeting at the Gauteng provincial legislature, where Bopape had arrived carrying documents that she alleged supported her accusation that Gauteng Premier David Makhura had not met with her in his office after allegations of corruption emerged against her.
During her time as sports MEC and then social development MEC, Bopape was removed from office after accusations were made against her. She claims that she was axed in both instances without having the opportunity to give her version of events. Another accusation stated that she was involved in a R10-million tender award to a security company of her preference.
When she attempted to release documents she claimed revealed Makhura’s insufficient handling of the matter, Gauteng legislature speaker Ntombi Mekgwe prevented her from doing so. In an act of support for Bopape, the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Democratic Alliance walked out of the meeting.
At the time, Mekgwe said that Bopape had failed to ask permission to vent in the legislature and she was undermining the ANC’s internal disciplinary processes. In their statement on Monday, the ANC said that her membership had been suspended in order to “mitigate any further damage to the integrity and public reputation of the organisation”.
“Her suspension means she cannot represent and/or speak on behalf of the ANC in any capacity until the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings against her. All the facts about her misconduct will be presented to the Provincial Disciplinary Committee (PDC) for a determination to be made,” the statement said.
As a result of the suspension, Bopape can no longer attend any meeting, gathering or activities on behalf of the ANC at the Gauteng legislature. She is also barred from entering any ANC offices unless it is in relation to her disciplinary hearing, and she is no longer allowed to attend any ANC activities. Bopape has also been prevented from making any public comments regarding ANC matters, and she may not be involved in or allow any action to be organised in her name in response to the suspension or the disciplinary hearing.
In its rules, the ANC states that a member must be suspended before any disciplinary proceedings can take place. The PDC will hear the facts around the ANC’s case against Bopape before a final decision is made.