MEC expelled after pretending to be voting delegate at North West conference

Read More

Eight ANC members, including an MEC, have been expelled from the party for voting with the opposition in the North West. 

The cooperative governance MEC, Moloki Cwaile — who was axed from Premier Job Mokgoro’s executive, effective from 8 May — has been cast out of the party after he was charged with breaching his membership oath. 

The party’s provincial disciplinary committee ordered that Cwaile be removed from representing the ANC in the North West legislature with immediate effect.

Cwaile was accused of pretending to be a voting delegate during the ANC provincial conference in August last year. 

The committee said in a statement that Cwaile usurped the constitutional powers of delegates and “undermined the respect for or [impeded] the functioning of the credentials and accreditations subcommittee which was constituted to deal with invitation of voting and non-voting delegates” to the provincial conference.

The provincial disciplinary chairperson, Vuyo Peach, said in the statement that Cwaile “did not show any remorse and was not cooperative”. 

He said Cwaile had written to the provincial disciplinary committee on 1 March saying he would longer be appearing before it. The committee served him with two further notices, which he ignored. 

Cwaile has been expelled for 10 years, effective from 8 May. He has 21 days to appeal the ruling. 

Peach said the committee had also resolved to permanently expel five councillors from the Mamusa local municipality. 

Lesego Motlapele, Gontse Kock, Tshepo Kwenanyane, Mitta Chelechele and Tumisho Tlhole were each charged after they voted with the opposition to install an EFF speaker shortly after the local government elections in 2021. 

The ANC won the municipality with seven of the eight wards, and garnered a majority of nine seats in the 16-member council. 

The five councillors were charged with “undermining and impeding the functioning of the ANC, prejudicing the integrity or reputation of the organisation, breaching their contract of deployment and failing, refusing, or neglecting to carry out or execute an instruction of the caucus”.

“All the charged members are expelled from the ANC permanently,” Peach said in the statement. 

Former Mahikeng municipal speaker Bafana Nebe, who vowed to fight against the step-aside rule when it emerged that the police were investigating him for malicious damage to property, was also expelled for 10 years. 

Another ANC member, Steven Moreki, was expelled for three years with a five-year suspension. It’s not clear why he was charged.