LOUIS TRICHARDT - Persistent rumours about the suspension of councillors of the Makhado Municipal Council were denied by senior members of the ANC this week.

According to rumours a number of ANC councillors were suspended by the organisation due to unspecified irregularities, and then temporally re-instated pending a full investigation.

The Regional Secretary of the Vhembe Region of the ANC, Mr Samson Ndou, when approached about these rumours said:

“I think there is wrong information. Nobody was suspended in the municipality itself. What we know is that there are councillors who were informed about the restructuring which is going to take place in a few weeks’ time.”

Asked about the nature of the restructuring, and the reason for it, Mr Ndou said; “It could mean a number of things. It might take the form of deploying people in other posts, and so on.

“This process is in line with building our organisation and also to place people where they can do the job. We need to have an effective municipality and this will be done through the restructuring process.”

Mr Ndou said there was no date set for the completion of the restructuring process.

“Our mandate is to build the ANC branches. This is done through the process of restructuring. We are informing people about it. In my knowledge no-one was removed or suspended.”

When it was put to Mr Ndou that there are persistent rumours that the ANC is acting against allegations of irregularities and suspected cases of corruption specifically in the tender committee of the Makhado Municipal Council, he said corruption would be a matter for police investigation. The ANC Disciplinary Committee would investigate “family issues, things which were not done correctly or in contravention of the ANC’s constitution.”

Mr Ndou referred enquiries about possible action by the ANC’s Disciplinary Committee to the Provincial Co-ordinator of the ANC, Mr France Mohlala.

Mr Mohlala said he could not comment on the issue.

“Like any other organisation the ANC some times have to take disciplinary action against members who are contravening.”

He declined to go into particulars and said it was an ANC internal matter.

“There is nothing substantial at the moment. Every individual that is charged has to have a hearing and there are certain actions that must be taken. I do not want to comment on who has been charged and with what. I do not know. There is a provincial disciplinary committee investigating a number of cases. I cannot say if there are councillors of Makhado amongst them.”

Mr Mohlala added that the ANC would not comment until they have gathered enough information and spoken to everybody concerned.