African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip in Parliament, Nathi Nhleko, said any ”necessary steps” will only be taken when the legal process is concluded. In his response, Nhleko said the ANC respected the decision of the court.
This follows Thursday’s judgement by the Pretoria Regional Court which found Madikizela-Mandela guilty of fraud and theft involving about one million rand.
”We will be studying the findings of the judgement accordingly, while awaiting sentencing. Any necessary steps will be taken when this legal process has been concluded,” he said.
In a separate statement, the Nelson Mandela Foundation took a similar stance.
”Mr Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation have always and always will continue to respect the judiciary and the verdicts they decide upon in South Africa.
”We are of the opinion that the legal process was allowed to take its course in this case. We will await sentence before any further comments are made,” the statement read.
The official opposition chief whip Douglas Gibson says that the ANC should not allow Madikizela-Mandela to remain in Parliament.
Gibson, from the Democratic Alliance (DA), said an MP convicted on 43 charges of fraud ”should not stay on in parliament”
”Unless Mrs Madikizela-Mandela resigns immediately, the ANC should terminate her membership of Parliament without any further delay.”
Gibson said that the ANC had kept Madikizela-Mandela on in Parliament ”long past the time when they should have fired her”.
Madikizela-Mandela, who is president of the ANC Women’s League, has been an MP since 1994 and served for a short spell as deputy arts and culture minister before being axed by her ex-husband, then President Nelson Mandela.
She is seldom seen in the brown benches of the National Assembly. – Sapa, I-Net Bridge