MBOMBELA – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Mpumalanga are livid over – what they term – the preferential treatment of one of its former members. Ms Ayanda Tshabalala was elected as a member of the provincial legislature (MPL) in last year’s general elections. On June 2 of this year she officially resiged from the party and legislature and joined the ANC.
It is due to this that she is still drawing benefits from her former position, claims EEF provincial leader Mr Collen Sedibe. This week he attended a graduate certificate course on governance at With University alongside her, and claimed she introduced herself as an ANC MPL.
He also charged that she was still using her legislature-issued cell phone, laptop and iPad and was still living in the government provided housing in Mbombela.
“The EFF party leader has since written letters to the speaker to ask her to follow the rules and act accordingly, but this fell on deaf ears or are deliberately ignored to cover the former EFF member who has since defected to ANC,” Sedibe says.
Ms Zamagambu Memela-Gamede, communications manager in the legislature, says the provision of accommodation of MPLs is the responsibility of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT) and not the Speaker. “Legislature has since advised DPWRT that Tshabalala has ceased to be an MPL.”
“Legislature is aware that Tshabalala is using the accommodation that was granted to her as an MPL. According to the members handbook, any member who ceases to occupy office is allowed to use the state house for the period of a month after which it must be vacated. She has since returned all the tools of trade given to her while she was a member. This includes the cellphone, iPad and a laptop,” Memela-Gamede says.
She further explains that Tshabalala was admitted to the Wits University as a student while she was an MPL. “Legislature has… since withdrawn her name from the list of attendees to the programme. Any person who were enrolled for the course while being a member may continue on the basis of their own personal arrangement with the university and seemingly Tshabalala has exercised this option.”
Her replacement as EFF MPL, Mr Alfred Skhosana was sworn in on June 12. “He was provided with his office and has also been provided with a cellphone to execute his duties. His other tools of trade including the iPad and laptop are ready for collection and sign-off by him personally. Currently members of the legislature are on recess and this delayed the personal handover to the member,” Memela-Gamede says.
She adds that he has been issued with temporary accommodation for a period of a month as per the members handbook. A formal request for accommodation has been forwarded to DPWRT, which is tasked with providing accommodation after the lapse.
Tshabalala referred all questions to Mr Mpumelelo Masina, who explained that she had chosen to take over the contracts for the electronics instead of legislature having to incur the costs of canceling the contracts. He said the service provider was still processing the changeover.
He added that the seat at the course had been paid for in March, and Tshabalala’s replacement in legislature could not attend as it was a post-graduate course. She hence made arrangements to attend in her capacity as a former MPL. He added that since she had 30 days from the beginning of the month after she had resigned to vacate the accommodation, she could stay there until July 31.
“Sedibe must just calm down. She is still within her legal rights.”
