By Angela Quintal
A second African National Congress MP who was to be reprimanded by national assembly speaker Dr Frene Ginwala for abusing his parliamentary travel concessions escaped a public dressing down on Friday ostensibly because he was still ill.
Earlier this week, controversial Eastern Cape MP and rugby administrator John Ncinane received a tongue-lashing in the national assembly from Ginwala for fraudulently using his travel vouchers.
The matter has also been referred to the director of public prosecutions for further action.
Free State ANC MP Khatliso Moeketse, a former youth league chair in the province, was to have been reprimanded on the same day, but escaped because he was off sick.
It was instead postponed until Friday, but Moeketse failed to take his seat in the national assembly again.
Parliament's media manager, Luphumzo Kebeni, confirmed Moeketse was still ill and said Ginwala would probably reprimand the MP on November 20 when MPs returned to dispose of the Municipal Structures Second Amendment Bill.
Moeketse reportedly admitted to a Sunday newspaper that he was selling his air tickets to friends and their spouses.
ANC national spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama is on record as saying both men will be disciplined by the party.
The ANC's Chief Whip Tony Yengeni would not comment on why both MPs had not been suspended by the party from parliament pending the ANC disciplinary hearing.
He referred media queries to the head of the ANC's national disciplinary committee, Professor Kader Asmal.
Ncinane is said to have strong grass-roots support in the Eastern Cape and is believed to be an "untouchable".
His critics say this would explain why he remained an MP despite the fact that a newspaper exposed him as having illegally tapped electricity from a clinic to a holiday home he was renting in Hamburg in January last year.
Ncinane also made headlines last year before the June elections when he claimed that if Jesus Christ returned to earth he would be ruled by the ANC. He was forced to apologise after an outcry from Christians, including the African Christian Democratic Party.
He has also been involved in a racism row about the appointment of a new president for the Western Province Rugby Union. - Sapa