By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Jacques Nelles.
ActionSA has terminated the membership of Tshwane Human Settlements MMC Abel Tau’s, with immediate effect amid allegations of sexual assault.
Tau is accused of attempting to sleep with his friend’s wife – and forcing himself on her.
ActionSA on Thursday announced that its senate – the party’s highest decision-making body – resolved during a meeting on Wednesday evening to terminate Tau’s membership in the party.
This after the senate deliberated on recommendations of the disciplinary panel that was convened to consider the charges levelled against the MMC, who was also ActionSA’s Gauteng provincial secretary.
“The panel, chaired by Advocate Gill Benson, heard evidence from a number of witnesses in the matter but determined that the charges relating to alleged criminal conduct would be more appropriately dealt with in the courts.
“The senate specifically looked at the conduct of Tau and concluded that his conduct was inconsistent with ActionSA’s value of ethical leadership,” ActionSA’s national chairperson Michael Beaumont said in a statement.
Tau was facing a police investigation after the his friend’s wife laid a criminal complaint against him, claiming she was sexually assaulted.
It was alleged that the incident took place at Tau’s home in Pretoria, after he was bingeing on alcohol with his friend, who is also an ActionSA member.
According to the report, when the friend passed out after having too many drinks, Tau called the wife to fetch him.
When she arrived, Tau allegedly made sexual advances on the woman and attempted to force himself on her, but she turned him down.
Tau has denied the allegations levelled against him.
While ActionSA said it would allow the criminal justice system to deal with the case, Beaumont stressed that positions of authority and power in the party were “entrusted responsibilities to leaders that can never be abused for sexual advances or to subjugate women”.
He said Tau’s alleged conduct had brought ActionSA into disrepute.
“ActionSA wishes to clarify that this kind of conduct is inexcusable in ActionSA and will never be tolerated.