JUSTIN ARENSTEIN, Nelspruit | Friday 8.30PM
THE African National Congress expelled its controversial former deputy speaker in Mpumalanga, Cynthia Maropeng, on Friday after finding her guilty of bringing the party into disrepute.
Provincial ANC spokesman, Jackson Mthembu, said on Friday evening that the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) formally ratified a recommendation to revoke Maropeng’s ANC membership.
The PEC found, Mthembu said, that Maropeng willfully abused her position as an elected representative to illegally enrich both herself and her close friends.
Maropeng is also currently facing one criminal theft and nine fraud charges in the Nelspruit magistrate’s court for allegedly embezzling more than R1,1-million from a secret government bank account she controlled.
Stressing that the ANC suspended Maropeng from the party immediately after receiving proof of her alleged crimes two months ago, Mthembu said that the expulsion was an example of the ANC’s stance against corruption.
“We will prosecute anyone, regardless of their position within the party or the country if we receive conclusive evidence of corruption.
Maropeng’s fate should serve as an example,” said Mthembu. The Ngobeni commission uncovered the alleged embezzlement last month while investigating allegations of irregular tender and other purchases on state account by the outspoken deputy speaker.
It immediately called for her dismissal and recommended criminal charges as well as an appeal to the Heath special investigative unit to recover the stolen funds.
Maropeng and three co-accused, including legislature finance director, Jomo Siboza, administration head, Wilson Ngwenya, and former legislature secretary, Alfred Mahlangu, are all on bail of R5000 each and will reappear in court on October 2.
Maropeng rose to prominence through the ANC Women’s League in the early 1990s and was a noted struggle activist in the Mpumalanga township of KaNyamazane during the 1980s.
She qualified and reportedly worked as a teacher before being appointed to the ANC national executive committee on behalf of the Women’s League and served on the NEC disciplinary committee for a time.
She was appointed as Mpumalanga’s first deputy speaker in 1994 and gained a reputation for being outspoken while weathering a series of earlier scandals linked to irregular personal loans.
Maropeng was unavailable for comment on Friday night but her attorney, Motlatsi Molefe, told African Eye News Service that the expulsion order was expected.
“This was all decided on a long time ago. It comes as no surprise,” said Molefe. — African Eye News Service