ANC Youth League Free State provincial executive member Phiwe Mathe, who is charged with assaulting his baby mama, insists he will not step down from his position, claiming that the party’s step-aside rule does not apply to the young lions.
This is in contrast to the ANCYL head office, whose president Collen Malatji told Sunday World that the contentious “step-aside rule” also applies to the youth league.
It remains to be seen if the party will force Mathe to step aside given that his political principal and NEC member, Zizi Kodwa, has not been told to do so despite being charged with corruption.
The ANC’s 54th conference, as part of its renewal strategy, adopted a resolution stating that members facing criminal charges should step aside until the matters are finalised in the courts.
At its 55th conference, the ANC resolved that: “Cadres who are charged should not wait for the ANC to tell them to step aside, but must do so before being asked.”
But Mathe, who is also the ANCYL provincial spokesperson, is adamant that he will not step aside despite the serious charges he is facing, for which he has appeared in court four times.
Mathe was arrested in May by Bainsvlei police in Bloemfontein after the complainant opened a case against him. He was granted bail of R500 during his first appearance on May 24.
The matter was postponed to July 12. Free State ANCYL provincial secretary Mayibuye Bangani agrees with Mathe.
“We don’t have [a] step-aside policy in the ANC Youth League, that only applies to the ANC as [the] mother body. We are going to discuss this matter on Saturday (yesterday), where I will be handing the report to the PEC,” said Bangani.
Mathe, who also works at the provincial Department of Public Works, maintains that he is innocent, claiming there is a political conspiracy behind the criminal matter.
Mathe agreed that the woman in question is his child’s mother.
“I did not assault her as per her claims, and I will prove all this in court as I have nothing to hide. The version of events before the court is false. The matter is being dealt with by the court, and I can’t reveal [the] merits of the case as the matter is sub
judice,” said Mathe.
His insistence of a political ploy is the same version he gave to the leadership of the provincial youth league where he was at pains selling a story that there are sinister motives to tarnish his image as a young politician.
He also said that the government department he works for also engaged him on the allegations and that he took the MEC (Dibolelo Mance) into his confidence about the assault allegations.
Mance claimed in a statement released by her department that she had learnt with disappointment about allegations of physical abuse levelled against Mathe.
“The department can confirm that it has been made aware of the incident and wishes to place it on record that the department is a strong proponent of women emancipation and fiercely opposes the abuse of the vulnerable members of our society, particularly women and children.
“The matter of Mr Mathe is currently before the court of law and, therefore, it would be amiss of the department to make any comments at this stage,” she said.
“I wish to state that I have little to no sympathy at all for men who abuse women and I further call for the law to take its course without fear or favour.”
ANC acting spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi said the ANC at its headquarters has not received any correspondence regarding a criminal case involving Mathe.
“Nonetheless, as a general rule, all ANC policies apply to its members – without exception. This includes those who are members of the ANC leagues,” Godlimpi said.
