/ 17 November 2006

ANC executive to discuss Selebi, Goniwe

The controversy around police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi was expected to be discussed at the African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee meeting in Johannesburg on Friday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Calls from opposition parties for Selebi to step down intensified following the arrest of his friend, Glenn Agliotti, on Thursday in connection with the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble.

The ANC earlier expressed support for Selebi, but indicated that it could review its position if new information was brought forward, the broadcaster said.

Also likely to dominate discussions at the meeting — which started at 10.30am — was the sexual harassment complaint against ANC chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe.

On Thursday the congress’s national disciplinary committee announced that Goniwe had been granted a leave of absence until an investigation into the complaint was completed.

He is accused of sexually harassing a 21-year-old female parliamentary administrative assistant.

The chair of the disciplinary committee, Kader Asmal, told a media briefing at Parliament on Thursday after a meeting to examine the allegations that ”there is strong prima facie evidence against Goniwe that warrants a disciplinary hearing”. — Sapa