Cape Town - The ANC in the Western Cape has lost more than 30 000 members since he was asked to step aside, Marius Fransman has told the Cape Argus in an interview in which he reaffirmed his support for President Jacob Zuma.
Fransman, who had himself been mired in controversy after he was accused of fondling his former personal assistant in January last year, said he had spent the last couple of months investigating the “truth” concerning the matter.
He also claimed he was “back” as the party’s provincial chairperson following a decision by the ANC’s national disciplinary committee that the disciplinary process against him be reviewed.
But while that may be, Fransman had no plans to appear before the disciplinary committee.
“My next step will be to petition the national executive committee of the ANC because I will not go back to the national disciplinary committee,” he said.
“They’ve showed their hand and have compromised themselves by abusing the ANC’s disciplinary processes.”
He said the national disciplinary committee – which had in November found him guilty and suspended him for five years – backtracked based on two grounds: factionalism and his argument that there was an alleged assault “on me personally”.
“That means they nullified their own decision because now they must redo the (disciplinary) process. The accuser was a hired gun, nothing else. They used a lie to destroy me. They tried to criminalise me.”
Provincial ANC spokesperson Yonela Diko refuted Fransman’s claims that he was back as chairperson.
“Absolutely not true,” Diko said.
“He remains suspended until the matter before the national disciplinary committee is resolved.”