ANC Women’s League task team mum on exclusion of convicted Bathabile Dlamini from structure

Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jul 4, 2022

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Pretoria - Members of the newly-formed ANC Women’s League National Task Team (NTT) have chosen to remain mum about the exclusion of its president and former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini following the disbandment of the ANCWL in April.

The ANC’s highest decision making body, the national executive committee (NEC), disbanded the structure after it failed to hold an elective conference and replaced it with the NTT led by former speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete as convernor.

A letter penned by ANC treasurer-general, Paul Mashatile, said the 43-member team was to ensure all structures were in good standing, conferences are held in branches, regions and provinces to ensure the ANCWL national conference is convened within a year and that processes are accurate so that the standing of the conference cannot be contested. The letter was written after a special NEC meeting held on April 24-25.

Convicted perjurer Dlamini, found guilty of perjury earlier this year for having lied under oath during her testimony in an inquiry into her role in the 2017 social grants scandal, was sidelined from the NTT.

Party insiders said Dlamini appeared to be seeking re-election.

She was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment – with two years of the sentence suspended – or a R200 000 fine, R100 000 of which was suspended, for lying under oath during Judge Bernard Ngoepe’s inquiry into the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants scandal. Dlamini ignored questions sent via text to her cellphone, and did not answer her phone.

Other prominent task team members are Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; former energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson and Minister in the Presidency for Women and Youth Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Efforts to get comment from ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe on why Dlamini was snubbed were fruitless.

Pretoria News