Cape Town – Embattled ANC Western Cape chairman Marius Fransman has been asked to step down from the position pending the outcome of an investigation against him for sexual harassment, ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa confirmed on Thursday.
“The decision was taken by the provincial executive of the ANC executive in the Western Cape that they will refer the matter to the integrity commission,” Kodwa said, before adding that reports that Fransman had been asked to step down in the meanwhile were “correct”.
Read: ‘He should step down until probe is done’
A source close to party structures in the province said it was part of wider upheaval in the ANC in the Western Cape following discussions by the ruling party at national level.
“The decision was taken by the (ANC) NEC and it was only meant to be communicated on Monday but it has leaked out and is all over,” he told ANA.
“He was asked to step down.”
The source, a veteran of ANC politics in the Western Cape, said it was futhermore in the pipeline for ANC national structures to ask the provincial executive to make way for a caretaker structure ahead of local government elections this year.
“I think they do not want the executive committee to be in control,” he added.
Read: ‘I did not set honeytrap for Fransman’
Jabu Mfusi, provincial ANC spokesman, said local party structures had only heard the news through the media.
“The NWC is only going to meet with us Monday. We will get it from them. We can’t speak until we’ve got something official.”
An employee has accused Fransman of sexual harassing her while they travelled to the North West for the African National Congress’s birthday rally in Rustenburg earlier this month.
African News Agency
* Use IOL’s Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.