The New National Party’s leadership has suspended the party membership of Social Development Deputy Minister David Malatsi and former Western Cape premier Peter Marais pending an internal party investigation.
The decision was taken by the NNP’s federal executive which met in Cape Town on Friday morning, said NNP general secretary Darryl Swanepoel.
Neither Malatsi nor Marais were present.
Earlier in the week the pair were suspended from party activities pending a probe by the Public Protector into their role in the controversial Roodefontein golf estate development
NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk also asked Malatsi to resign his national government post, but the deputy minister publicly defied him and refused to do so.
Meanwhile, Marais said Malatsi knew nothing about a R300 000 donation to the NNP by Roodefontein developer Ricardo Agusta and instead claimed Van Schalkwyk had been aware of it.
As a result the NNP moved to take further action against the pair.
The federal executive had unanimously approved a resolution suspending Malatsi and Marais’ membership immediately, Swanepoel said.
A five-member committee, convened by NNP MP Piet Matthee, had been appointed to investigate and deal with the ”the disciplinary issue” as a result of the men’s pronouncements.
The committee should report back to the executive by 21 February, Van Schalkwyk said.
Under the NNP’s federal constitution, a member can be suspended by the party leader or executive pending a disciplinary hearing, before he or she can be expelled.
Malatsi, Marais and Agusta also face a police investigation after the Democratic Alliance lodged corruption, bribery and intimidation charges relating to the development on Thursday. Police confirmed they would investigate corruption and fraud charges and that a decision whether to prosecute would ultimately be made by the director of public prosecutions.
The Public Protector’s office said it was considering whether to extend the probe in the light of Marais’s claims about Van Schalkwyk. The DA asked the Public Protector on Monday to investigate his involvement.
Meanwhile, by Thursday night President Thabo Mbeki had yet to speak to Malatsi before deciding whether to fire him from the government. Mbeki leaves for Paris on Friday and returns next week.
It appears Mbeki is playing for time, allowing the NNP to discipline Malatsi, thereby avoiding having to make a decision which would open him up to claims he had used a different standard from the one for Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
Last month Mbeki told reporters there was no need for Zuma to resign or to be suspended as he had not been formally charged with a crime.
This follows newspaper reports that Zuma was under investigation for corruption for allegedly trying to secure a R500 000 bribe from a French arms company involved in the arms deal.
Neither Marais nor Malatsi were immediately available for comment. – Sapa