Johannesburg – Knives are out for newly deployed ANC MP Xiaomei Havard as party members level a cocktail of allegations that they want her to account for at the governing party’s integrity commission.
It has now been revealed that Chinese-born Havard was in 2011 convicted of fraud related to forgery.
She was among 23 ANC leaders who were previously summoned by the ANC integrity committee after three serious issues were raised during her vetting.
The integrity committee allegedly discovered that Havard, who was sworn in as MP last week, had a pending fraud case emanating from claims that she forged a business stamp to approve documents and other allegations that include faking her educational qualifications.
Other issues picked up by the committee, according to an internal report handed to ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, include a query regarding her naturalisation.
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Nat ional pol ice spokesperson Vish Naidoo confirmed that Harvard was arrested, charged and convicted of fraud.
“The suspect was found guilty with a fine of R5000 or three months imprisonment,” said Naidoo. Sunday World can reveal that Havard was on the list of 23 names that included ANC heavyweights such as Deputy President David Mabuza, former ministers Mosebenzi Zwane, Bongani Bongo, Nomvula Mokonyane, as well as a host of other provincial leaders.
ANC’s top leaders usually appear before the integrity committee before they are cleared to represent the party in parliament.
But senior ANC sources revealed that Havard never appeared before the committee despite being on the list of members who needed to clarify issues picked up by the integrity committee.
Her elevation to parliament has now come into sharp focus and ANC members in Gauteng are saying that there are better and deserving ANC members who could have taken up the seat left vacant by the sudden death of Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu.
It is understood that Gauteng ANC provincial secretary Jacob Khawe has also been inundated with complaints from branches who want to know how Havard made it to the national list as they allege that she had just joined the party.
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ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said no formal objection had been submitted to either the ANC or Independent Electoral Commission to block her deployment to parliament. Harvard did not respond to requests for comment.
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