There may be no hope of returning to public service by disgraced former Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, but President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to hold his cards close to his chest as he doded questions about Dlaminis future in the ANC ranks.
Ramaphosa on Wednesday addressed the National Union of Mineworkers’ 17th national congress at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.
Ramaphosa was asked by journalists why Dlamini has still not resigned or stepped aside since her conviction for perjury for lying under oath at an inquiry to, among others, probe her role in the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) crisis.
Said Ramaphosa, “The decision of the NEC was that the officials are going to meet with Bathabile Dlamini and that is a process.”
“We are a process-driven organisation, whether you like it or not, so we are going to meet with her and we are going to have discussions.
“I know the media wants to see action now, but we are a process-driven organisation.”
Dlamini out in the cold
On Monday, ANC treasurer-general and acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile revealed that Defence Minister Thandi Modise Modise, Sport Arts, and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, and South African Communist Party central committee member Jenny Schreiner have been appointed to the ANCWL national task team to replace Dlamini’s NEC, which was elected in August 2015.
The ANC top brass had been asked to scrutinise Dlamini’s conviction by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
She will know her fate this week when magistrate Betty Khumalo delivers her sentence.
Seriousness of perjury
Perjury is a serious crime in SA with a minimum penalty of a fine or a year behind bars – but the maximum could vary between five and 10 years.
However, experts said Dlamini was most likely to get a fine instead of a direct jail term but the fact that she was convicted at all was a significant indicator that all were equal before the law in South Africa.
Most likely, the ANC would wait for the court to finalise Dlamini’s matter before deciding to place her under the step-aside rule which applied to members who were charged with corruption and other serious crimes.
- Additional reporting by Eric Naki