By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) in Eastern Cape says it will not remove any of its members implicated in the University of Fort Hare (UFH) qualifications saga.
Chief whip and spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela said that until the implicated politicians are formally charged, they will not be removed from their government roles.
Magqashela, addressed journalists on the sidelines of a strategic weekend planning lekgotla held by his party’s caucus in East London.
He said it could not be disputed that allegations of senior party members obtaining fraudulent degrees painted the ANC in a negative light, but it would be jumping the gun to take action before charges were brought against the accused.
“At this point in time, there is nobody who has taken these members that we speak about [and] who are members of the provincial legislature to court.
“No case has been opened against them; Fort Hare is dealing with that matter through the Special Investigating Unit (SIU); hence we are saying the matter is still under investigation… then our step-aside resolution kicks in when the case has been opened, and one has been charged,” said Magqashela.
Last year, the SIU announced it would be probing all allegations of maladministration at the University of Fort Hare after allegations came to light regarding the awarding of honours degrees from the institution.
Magqashela explained, the the party cannot be driven by the opposition to tell us what to do and what not to do. These are just allegations made by the university.
The ANC’s step-aside resolution adopted as part of the party’s policy at its 55th national elective conference states that party members who are criminally charged should step down from their roles until they can clear their name.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane and several members of the executive council (MECs) are being investigated in connection with claims they fraudulently acquired qualifications from the university.
“The forensic report that was leaked to one of the media houses concluded, that Mabuyane’s master’s degree was undeservedly and fraudulently obtained through a bogus research proposal that was put together for him by the academic staff at the same institution, Fort Hare University, that was to award him the degree. It now appears that Fort Hare’s department of public administration offered a ‘made-to-order’ degree vending service to well-connected politicians who abused the public purse to secure their self-aggrandising phoney qualifications”.
Mabuyane denied the fraud claims and said he would challenge the report implicating him.
Several other prominent politicians and government officials, including the current Public Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet, newly-appointed Buffalo City Metro mayor, Princess Faku’s are among implicated in the qualifications saga.
ActionSA and Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Mabuyane to resign or be dismissed following allegations of trying to obtain a bogus PhD in public administration from the University of Fort Hare.
Both political parties said, all those implicated in this “degree” of disgrace should immediately be charged and suspended from holding office until they have been absolved of any impropriety.