With the party in an election year, officials are treading carefully when considering the process of removing ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini from her post. (David Harrison/M&G)
ANC Women’s League President Bathabile Dlamini has become the latest member to resign from Parliament. She is the third MP to walk away in the past two days.
Last week, four members who were part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s executive team also resigned. These four are Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Makhosini Nkosi, Nomaindia Mfeketo and Tokozile Xasa.
Dlamini’s resignation comes a day after two former ministers also chose to step down. On Monday, Siyabonga Cwele and Jeff Radebe announced their resignations.
Dlamini served as a minister of women in the presidency from February 2018 to May 2019 and was one of the controversial names that was listed on the ANC’s parliamentary lists before the 2019 elections. The party came under fire for refusing to remove Dlamini off their list as she was facing possible perjury charges after it emerged that she allegedly lied to the Constitutional Court about the Social Security Agency of South Africa (Sassa) catastrophe in 2017, when she was minister of social development.
The Constitutional Court ruled that she was liable for 20% of costs for the Sassa debacle and asked the National Prosecuting Authority to further investigate whether she should be prosecuted for perjury.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina confirmed Dlamini’s resignation to News24 on Tuesday saying: “Yes the women’s league president resigned yesterday. I have accepted her resignation. All other comments on the matter will be handled by Luthuli House.”
Read Dlamini’s resignation letter below:
Bathabile Dlamini’s resignation letter