Political future of three ANC Gauteng leaders hangs in the balance

The political future of three disgraced African National Congress (ANC) provincial executive committee (PEC) Gauteng leaders, implicated in the multi-million-rand Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) on Monday hung in the balance.

The ANC provincial integrity commission (PIC), which found that Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku failed to practice adequate oversight of the PPE contracts awarded by the department, has been probing the R125 million tender scandal.

After a two-day marathon meeting of the ANC PEC, unconfirmed reports said the leave of absence of Masuku, wife Loyiso and presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko – all implicated in the PIC graft report – would be extended by two weeks.

The SA Broadcasting Corporation tweeted that the PEC “felt there was inconsistency and inadequate information provided by the PIC report as it was contradictory in terms of oversight by the MEC”.

“The PEC will not return to the report of the provincial integrity commission, but will go to the PWC (ANC provincial working committee) and officials for processing.

“There is a resolution to engage government and the SIU (Special Investigating Unit) to speed up their investigations,” added the SABC tweet.

Neither ANC Gauteng secretary Jacob Khawe nor spokesperson Bones Modise, were available for comment.

SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the specialised police unit’s work and its mandate had “nothing to do with political parties or integrity committees”.

brians@citizen.co.za

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