ANC Free State’s Phiwe Mathe steps aside from duties due to GBV charges
ANC spokesperson in the Free State and PEC member Phiwe Mathe allegedly assaulted the mother of his child and has been charged.
The African National Congress (ANC) youth league spokesperson in the Free State, Phiwe Mathe, has stepped aside from his duties as provincial executive committee member and spokesperson pending the finalisation of the case of common assault.
Mathe is charged with assaulting the mother of his child. He appeared in court on 24 May and was released on R500 bail.
ANC FREE STATE PEC MEMBER PHIWE MATHE STEPS ASIDE
On Sunday, the ANC youth league in the Free State confirmed that Mathe wrote a voluntary step-aside letter to the provincial secretary, Mayibuye Bangani. He had insisted that he will not step down from his position, claiming that the party’s step-aside rule does not apply to the youth league.
In the letter, Mathe reportedly indicated that he has also referred the matter to the integrity commission for recommendations to the ANC PEC in the province.
Bangani said the ANCYL does not wish to cast any aspersions on the matter as it is the court’s role. However, they are opposed to the issue of gender-based violence.
“We have then advised comrade Phiwe to look into this matter, save the organisation’s integrity and protect his image since he is one of the quality leaders we have in the province. So, he has resigned and stepped aside immediately from his responsibilities as the spokesperson and PEC member of the ANCYL,” Bangani told the SABC.
The step aside rule was adopted at the party’s national conference in 2017 where criminally-charged leaders must voluntarily step aside and those that alleged, reported and accused of corruption face the integrity committee.
LEADER CRTICISE STEP ASIDE RULE
In 2021, ANC Limpopo and KZN leaders criticised the step aside rule saying that it will never be an instrument to solve socio-economic challenges that South Africa is facing and that the rule is weakening the ANC
They said they are worried that the skewed and inconsistent implementation of the step aside resolution has divided the ANC and the alliance. Additionally, there are leaders that are selectively targeted for charges with court cases getting prolonged under the pretext of investigations.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa was recently sworn in as a Member of Parliament.
Kodwa and his co-accused, businessman Jehan Mackay, were arrested on 5 June 2024 by the Hawks and later charged with corruption.
The two appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Crime Court in Johannesburg on the same day, where they also faced charges of Contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, emanating from the period between April 2015 to February 2016, when Kodwa was ANC national spokesperson.
The two were later released on R30 000 bail each.
After posting bail, Kodwa later resigned as minister of sport, arts and culture. And then on 6 June 2024, Kodwa stepped aside from his duties within the national working committee and national executive committee of the ANC, citing compliance with the party’s resolution on renewal and safeguarding the organisation’s reputation.