Johannesburg – A disciplinary committee of the ANC in Gauteng has found former health MEC Bandile Masuku guilty of bringing the party into disrepute following the messy personal protective equipment (PPE) saga.
The decision lands yet another blow to the embattled politician after the high court in Pretoria dismissed his bid to challenge the Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) findings against him earlier this year. Sunday World has reliably established that the organisation’s provincial disciplinary committee has recommended that Masuku step aside as the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) member over the handling of the procurement of PPE.
Masuku was hauled before the committee following recommendations by the PEC based on the adverse findings by the provincial integrity committee.
This was after the SIU found that he had lacked oversight in the awarding of tenders worth R125-million to Royal Bhaca, the company linked to Amabhaca king Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko, the late husband of suspended presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko.
In October, Gauteng premier David Makhura fired Masuku from his position, using a SIU preliminary report, which found that “he failed to execute his function in compliance with the constitution and the Public Finance Management Act”.
Sunday World understands that Masuku has now been told to step aside from the PEC. “It is a guilty finding. It is recommended that he steps aside from the PEC,” a source said.
Masuku was likely to return to court to challenge the committee’s decision.
A source close to him said the committee’s sanction was not in the code of conduct of the party.
Sunday World has established that Masuku and Diko’s names were set to be included in the report that the party was to submit to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule on members who should step aside. High court judge Roland Sutherland said the SIU was not at all irrational in its findings. “The SIU saw no crime having been committed by Dr Masuku.
The SIU saw no basis for civil action against Dr Masuku. Indeed, it decided there was no action it could or should take.
“It is deemed Dr Masuku’s conduct to be wanting. To form such an opinion is plainly within its scope of functions. No irrationality can exist in the SIU being disappointed by Masuku’s discharge of his role. That Dr Masuku held a different view about his accountability is unimportant. The SIU has no obligation to defer to Masuku’s perspective, which he voiced fully and was part of the matrix of facts being investigated.”
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