Limpopo’s provincial government has asked public protector Thuli Madonsela to explain the legal basis for her request that contracts benefiting African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema be cancelled.
“We’ve written to the public protector asking for clarity on the legal basis around her request,” City Press quoted roads and transport spokesperson Thesan Moodley as saying.
Madonsela has instructed the Limpopo department of roads and transport to suspend contracts with On-Point Engineering, which is partly owned by Malema’s family trust.
Moodley said the department’s contracts with service providers were legally binding.
In response, Madonsela told the paper she was “shocked to hear they don’t understand the Constitution by questioning my powers”.
She is probing claims that the Limpopo government awarded irregular tenders to On-Point Engineering, which benefited Malema. The outcome of the investigation was expected before the end of the year.
Malema was also being investigated by the Hawks.
Madonsela’s spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi told the South African Broadcasting Corporation that the Hawks and the public protector had pinpointed their respective areas of investigation, to avoid any duplication.
ANC slams Sexwale testimony
The paper also reported that the ANC’s national disciplinary committee slammed the testimony provided by human settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale, at Malema’s disciplinary hearing in Johannesburg.
The full ruling criticised Sexwale for “unsubstantiated statements” and relying on “hearsay” for much of his evidence.
He also showed a lack of knowledge of the ANC constitution, according to the ruling.
Sexwale was quoted in the ruling as saying: “The disciplinary proceedings were being used to stifle debate and solve private problems because somebody was waiting for the earliest opportunity to institute disciplinary proceedings as soon as the respondent [Malema] said something wrong.”
ANC veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was also a witness for Malema.
The NDC found that she was misled by Malema about the source of the charges, City Press reported.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe refused to testify for Malema, the report also showed
Exile
Meanwhile, the five-year suspension of Malema’s ANC membership does not mean he will be exiting the South Africa political stage, the M&G reported on Friday.
After the ruling Malema and his supporters vowed to fight to the bitter end.
He would follow the ANC’s internal processes in challenging the ruling, but his supporters who remained in the league said they would carry on with the programmes he was pursuing, regardless of the outcome of the appeals process.
Believing that the prosecution of Malema and other league leaders was a move to secure the political future of President Jacob Zuma, Malema followers said they would challenge Zuma’s following at ground level. A key Malema lobbyist, who asked to remain anonymous, conceded that the president was now on top and alleged that Zuma loyalists were “stealing” elections, such as the regional conferences in Mpumalanga. – Sapa and Staff reporter