Johannesburg – The provincial executive committee (PEC) of the ANC in Gauteng has dismissed a motion by supporters of premier David Makhura to reinstate former health MEC Bandile Masuku and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s former spokesperson Khusela Diko back into the committee.
Masuku and Diko were instructed by the provincial integrity committee to step aside following their implication in the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) scandal. Royal Bhaca, the company that was awarded a tender to provide PPE by the department of health, is owned by Diko’s husband.
Diko and Masuku are believed to be family friends.
According to three PEC members who attended the meeting, the motion that was raised by Ezra Letsoalo, a staunch supporter of Makhura, was shot down by the majority of PEC members two weeks ago.
The sources said Diko and Masuku sympathisers wanted to take advantage of the gap in the ANC that was publicly declared by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule that the party did not have guidelines to deal with the controversial topic of stepping aside.
According to PEC members who were part of the meeting, Letsoalo’s motion was seconded by MEC for economic development Parks Tau, a close ally of Makhura.
However, ANC insiders said the call was shot down by ANC Youth League provincial chairperson Matome Chiloane.
“They [Masuku and Diko supporters] said that while waiting for the party to develop the guidelines, Masuku and Diko should in the meantime be reinstated back into the PEC. And we said no, that can’t happen because they still have a case to answer at the disciplinary committee,” said a member of the PEC.
Another PEC member said the majority of the members also indicated that reinstating Diko and Masuku would show the party’s hypocrisy and bias, stating that if the two are reinstated, former MEC for health Qedani Mahlangu and Brian Hlongwa should also be reinstated into the PEC because they were also removed after being implicated in reports.
Mahlangu was implicated in a report into the Life Esidimeni saga and Hlongwa in a report about a R1.2-billion corrupt deal.
The two were forced to step aside from their positions in the PEC. Chiloane confirmed that the matter was discussed but he refused to comment further.
He said he was only prepared to talk about the youth league’s plan to lobby the PEC to consider having an early elective conference.
ANC PEC spokesperson Bones Modise confirmed that the PEC meeting had a discussion on the reinstatement of Diko and Masuku but he said the matter was an item from the party’s previous meeting.
“I can confirm that the matter was discussed and the PEC emphasised its decision taken in the previous meeting that the two comrades must not participate in any activities of the party and the PEC,” he said.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
