The ANC’s Integrity Commission has ordered Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo to step down from his position following allegations of abuse of power for involving the Hawks in his domestic violence dispute with his mistress.
ANC veteran George Mashamba, the chairperson of the governing party’s integrity commission, wrote to Masondo earlier this month informing him of its decision.
“We hope that in light of the above you would voluntarily step aside from your position so that our recommendation that you be removed from the position you hold at the political school and that you step aside from your appointment as deputy minister of finance would be redundant. It would stand you in very good stead were you to consider this option,” reads the letter dated July 18.
The commission found that Masondo’s actions brought the ANC into disrepute and that he showed poor judgment by involving the Hawks and opening himself up to accusations of abusing his power and state resources..
“You are not an ordinary member of the public. You are a senior leader of the ANC and a deputy minister. You should have known that the mandate of the Hawks is to investigate corruption and offences that fall under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. The demands that [the woman] placed on you for money, while inconvenient to you, did not fall within the description of extortion under the act or within the mandate of the Hawks,” Mashamba told Masondo.
Masondo’s troubles started when his mistress allegedly started demanding money after he told her to abort their love child.
He then reportedly set the Hawks on her and the elite police unit arrested her.
Political Bureau