Anger as parliament, ANC let abuser Manana off the hook

Civil society groups and political parties welcomed the resignation of ANC MP and former deputy minister for higher education and training Mduduzi Manana yesterday, but they are livid after the ANC and parliament let him off the hook.

He was scheduled to appear before parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests in connection with his assault of three women last year.

Yesterday parliament abandoned the case after he had submitted his resignation to Speaker Baleka Mbete.

Manana assaulted the women at Cubana nightclub in Fourways, north of Johannesburg. He pleaded guilty in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court and was convicted on three counts of intent to commit grievous bodily harm late last year. He was fined R100 000.

“In the light of his resignation this matter automatically falls away as the joint committee and the Ethics Code have no jurisdiction over former members, except where MPs abuse parliamentary entitlements beyond their term of office,” a statement from parliament said.

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said: “His voluntary resignation from parliament, coupled with his resignation from the party’s executive in 2017, is indicative of someone who has taken full responsibility and has shown remorse.”

Manana resigned as deputy minister last year amid a frenzy of calls for the ANC to fire him.

Recently, his then domestic worker, Christine Wiro, laid assault charges against him, alleging he pushed her down the stairs and later tried to bribe her to abandon the case. But this week the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute due to a lack of evidence.

Gender rights group Sonke Gender Justice said they were extremely disappointed with the NPA’s decision.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) condemned the ANC’s failure to act against the former MP. IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said there should be severe consequences for this. IFP spokesperson on women Liezl van der Merwe vowed to raise the issue with the ethics committee yesterday.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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