Several political parties have welcomed ANC MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s intention to resign from Parliament, as well as her various positions in the ANC.
Democratic Alliance (DA) Chief Whip Douglas Gibson said the DA believed she would be doing the correct thing in resigning from Parliament.
”MPs and Parliament itself have suffered under a cloud because of the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Tony Yengeni scandals, and the new cash for air-ticket scandal.
”It is time to stop the rot and Mrs Madikizela-Mandela’s departure from Parliament is a good start,” he said.
ANC Chief Whip Nathi Nhleko’s office issued a statement saying the ANC respected the decision of the court, as well as Madikizela-Mandela’s right to appeal.
Regarding her political positions, the ANC in Parliament had no comment as ”such matters are decided on by Luthuli House”, the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg.
”However, we have noted the political opportunism of some in our country who, while hiding behind the veil of moral purity, continue to hold personal hatred against those who fought for the rights of the majority in this country.”
A separate statement issued by ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama in Johannesburg said the sentence imposed had been noted and the ANC respected the due process of the law.
”Believing that every person has the right to exhaust the full course of the law, we recognise the fact that she has filed for leave to appeal and hope she will be given the opportunity to exercise her full rights under the law.”
The ANC appealed to all South Africans to allow her legal representatives to pursue the application for leave to appeal, and to respect her right to explore all avenues within the context of the laws of the country.
African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader Kenneth Meshoe said Madikizela-Mandela’s resignation ”should be immediate”.
”We do not agree with her decision as stated by her to resign ‘in the fullness of time’. We believe that she should resign immediately.
”As an MP and political leader, she should be a person of character beyond reproach. The fact that she was found guilty by the courts means she should do the honourable thing and step down.
”We trust that many people will learn from her mistakes, that corruption is inexcusable and that no one is above the law, regardless how popular they are with the masses.”
Freedom Front (FF) leader Dr Pieter Mulder said the guilty verdict against Madikizela-Mandela should hold the same implications for her as it did for former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni, who was also convicted of fraud recently.
She should follow the honourable course of action and resign immediately from Parliament, Mulder said.
Madikizela-Mandela was sentenced in the Pretoria Regional Court on Friday to five years in jail after her conviction on dozens of fraud and theft charges on Thursday.
She would serve eight months of her sentence in prison, after which she would be required to do community service, magistrate Peet Johnson said in handing down sentence.
One year of the sentence was suspended for five years.
In a statement issued afterwards, Madikizela-Mandela said she would resign as MP, as African National Congress Women’s League president, as a member of the ANC’s national executive committee, and from attendant positions in the party.
”This I will do in the fullness of time,” she said.
Her co-accused, broker Addy Moolman, was sentenced to seven years in prison, of which two years were suspended for five years.
The court granted applications by Madikizela-Mandela and Moolman for leave to appeal against their conviction and sentence. Their bail was increased from R5 000 to R10 000 each.
Also on Friday, the Cape High Court dismissed with costs Madikizela-Mandela’s bid to stop National Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala publicly reprimanding her.
The reprimand, together with a five-day salary fine, was recommended by Parliament’s joint ethics committee after it last year found she had not disclosed some R55 000 a month in donations and a financial interest in the Winnie Mandela Family Museum in Soweto.
The ethics code says members must disclose all gifts, hospitality, sponsorships and benefits valued at more than R350, as well as shares and financial interests in companies and other corporate entities. – Sapa, I-Net Bridge