PARLIAMENT, November 10 (ANA) – ANC Western Cape provincial chairman Marius Fransman has been slapped with a five-year suspension from the party, the ruling party’s national disciplinary committee (NDC) annnounced on Thursday
In a statement, the NDC said Fransman was found guilty on two counts. One relates to him attempting to obtain sexual favours from Louisa Wynand during a trip to this year’s ANC annual birthday celebrations in Rustenburg. The other other charge related to him making public statements which brought the party into disrepute.
“The NDC said that the charged member showed no political understanding of one of the fundamental objectives of the ANC viz. the support for and advancement of women’s emancipation,” the statement said.
The statement also accused him of lying.
“The charged member deliberately misled the public when he said that he did not receive documents to enable him to prepare for his disciplinary hearing, whereas in truth he was given all the relevant documents he needed to prepare his defence.”
The NDC added that Fransman did not attend the disciplinary hearing, and “showed no remorse for his conduct”.
“Discipline is the glue that holds the ANC together. There is no room in the ANC for leaders and members, irrespective of position or seniority, who show scant regard for the values and objectives of the ANC and who consciously choose to define themselves outside the organisation in breach of their membership oath.”
The ANC in the Western Cape (ANC WC) said it noted the NDC’s decision, saying that is was glad that the matter was concluded after a year of uncertainty. It also thanked Fransman for his service to the organisation.
Tensions between Fransman and provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs were evident earlier this year, when the former chairman of the party in the province declared that Jacobs should never have been allowed to return to work while criminal charges for an alleged assault of a staff member was still in the courts.
The ANC WC, in its statement on Thursday, warned against airing dirty laundry in public, saying it was one of the lessons learnt from the developments over the past few years.
“The biggest lesson, however, of all which is truly regrettable is the evident truth that more effort is needed in building relationships among our leaders. And we take this as a lesson that when our leaders address each other publicly and negatively instead of a typical home visit or call where there may exist differences reflects lack of deeper and meaningful relationships among ourselves.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
