Deputy Minister of Social Development David Malatsi defied his party leader on Tuesday by refusing to quit, as the New National Party (NNP) tried to limit the damage arising from another party funding scandal in the province.
However, it now seems that the NNP might become involved in a messy internal squabble with disciplinary action against Malatsi likely. Moreover, President Thabo Mbeki — whose prerogative it is to appoint and fire ministers and deputies — has also been drawn into the saga.
Malatsi, one of two deputy ministers appointed by Mbeki late last year, in terms of a co-operation deal between the NNP and the African National Congress (ANC), is still scheduled to attend a Cabinet lekgotla which begins on Wednesday.
In a letter to Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, who is the Western Cape premier, Malatsi said he did not see any reason why he should ask the president to relieve him of his duties on the basis of untested allegations.
Van Schalkwyk announced on Tuesday that he had asked Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana to investigate the possibility of corruption involving a controversial golf estate development outside Plettenberg Bay.
Presidential representative Bheki Khumalo said Mbeki had communicated with Schalkwyk, but had not received a letter of resignation from Malatsi.
On whether the president would fire Malatsi, he said: ”The president will assess the information at his disposal and will meet the deputy minister to deal with the matter.”
”The president will come to an appropriate determination at an appropriate time once he has assessed all the information,” Khumalo said.
In a letter faxed to Van Schalkwyk’s office and copied to Director-General in the Presidency Frank Chikane, Malatsi said the allegations were untested and without substance.
Van Schalkwyk told journalists that according to information the owner of the property to be developed, Count Ricardo Agusta, had given the NNP in the Western Cape R300 000.
According to media reports, Agusta has bought property in Franschoek from alleged Mafioso Vito Palazzolo, whose son Robert von Palace Kolbatshenko, owns the development company involved in the proposed golf estate.
The Agusta donation had been solicited by then Western Cape premier and NNP provincial leader Peter Marais, who had earlier visited the proposed site with Malatsi, then provincial environment MEC, Van Schalkwyk said.
Soon after the donation was received Malatsi pushed through the controversial decision to go ahead with the scheme despite opposition from his own officials and environmentalists.
Van Shalkwyk said while no one had been found guilty, a proper investigation by the public protector was necessary.
”Mr Malatsi will relinquish his duties as the Deputy Minister of Social Development with immediate effect.”
Malatsi and Marais would also be suspended from all party activities, including party caucuses, pending the outcome of the public protector’s investigation.
The R300 000 would be returned to Agusta within 10 days.
In his reaction, NNP secretary general Darryl Swanepoel said Malatsi’s refusal to step down was ”a wrong and very unwise course of action”.
”It is a pity that Mr Malatsi has made a u-turn on his undertaking to Mr van Schalkwyk to request the president to relieve him of his duties as deputy minister.”
In an apparent reference to possible disciplinary action, he said: ”The matter will be dealt with by the party.”
Marais, who was expecting a senior provincial cabinet post after he was cleared of alleged sexual misconduct, told he was sick of government agencies being used to implicate him in wrong-doing.
”I’ve played clean and I have no skeletons in my closet.”
The DA in the Western Cape, who had to weather damaging allegations last year that it accepted a donation from alleged German fraudster Jurgen Harksen, has called for Van Schalkwyk to resign as premier. – Sapa