Former minister Zizi Kodwa, who was the ANC’s spokesperson at the time of the alleged bribes, appears in court for a bail application. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
Corruption accused former sports, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa has resigned with immediate effect as an ANC member of the National Assembly.
Kodwa, who also served as deputy minister responsible for state security under President Cyril Ramaphosa, submitted a resignation letter to the ANC on Thursday, two days after appearing in court for a pre-trial conference in his corruption case.
In his letter, which was copied to the speaker of parliament, Thoko Didiza, and ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli, Kodwa said he was quitting “due to personal reasons”.
He thanked the party for the “privilege and honour to serve the nation as a public representative of the ANC” in the letter, which the party’s acting national spokesperson, Zuko Godlimpi, said it had accepted.
Kodwa was arrested, along with former EOH executive Jehan Mackay, last month and is out on bail of R30 000 over bribes totalling R1.6 million that he allegedly received in the form of cash, luxury accommodation and other gratifications.
Testimony was led about the payments made to Kodwa during 2014 and 2016 at the Zondo commission into state capture, which recommended in its report that the president “consider” his appointment at the time of deputy minister responsible for state security.
The payments were made to Kodwa when he was national spokesperson of the ANC and were allegedly aimed at influencing a state information technology contract in favour of an EOH entity.
According to the charge sheet, the largest payment into his bank account was R1 million and the smallest was R30 000.
Despite being charged, Kodwa was allowed to take up his position as an ANC MP, but not to take on leadership roles, in terms of the party’s step-aside rule, which was adopted at its 2017 national conference.
Last month, the party’s veterans’ league questioned Kodwa’s presence in parliament and the ANC secretary general then wrote a letter to the formation clarifying the conditions under which he had taken up his seat.
But, after the pre-trial hearing earlier this week, at which lawyer Zola Majavu requested further details of the charges against his client from the prosecution, Kodwa submitted his resignation.
Kodwa and Mackay are due to appear in court again on 21 August.
Godlimpi said the ANC “has accepted the letter and wishes Comrade Zizi well”.
Kodwa is a former spokesperson of the ANC Youth League, which played a key role in the campaign to elect Jacob Zuma as president in 2007, and was appointed as party spokesperson — and that of the president.
Kodwa later became an ally of Ramaphosa, campaigning for him to become ANC president in 2017 and again in 2022.
The ANC’s alliance partner, labour federation Cosatu, has welcomed his decision to resign.
Cosatu spokesperson Zanele Sabela said the ANC had chosen to send him to parliament in “a moment of rashness” in an “ill-considered decision that undermined its progressive step-aside resolution”.
She said Cosatu appreciated that Kodwa “did the right thing and chose to resign from parliament”.
“This sends the right message to society — that the ANC has heard the voice of workers and is committed to cleansing itself and the nation of corruption and is willing to act when it makes a mistake.”
Sabela said other parties should hold their MPs accountable, including the Democratic Alliance, which “continues to dilly-dally and harbour” MP Renaldo Gouws, who had been suspended for online racist rants.