ANC IPC Coordinator, Hlomani Chauke, tells OFM News that after careful consideration and liaising with Nelson, it was concluded that it's not the best to send her to the legislature to replace the deceased MEC Gordon Kegakilwe. 

The ANC concedes that Nelson was next on the list of members to be sent to the legislature but her deployment was pushed back in favour of Lena Miga. This as there are allegations of fraud and corruption linked to the controversial former Health Head Thabo Lekalakala. Chauke says as per party resolutions, the onus rests on accused officials, like Nelson, to clear their names through the court processes before they can be deployed to party positions.

“At the right time, once she has [resolved] her matter, I think comrade Wendy, like any other member of the ANC, will be deployed if there are any opportunities again to go the legislature. So it is on [that] basis that the ANC had to maintain what it preaches,” he adds.

“It cannot be that when the ANC says that those members who find themselves wanting when it comes to matters of the law, we then again undermine the very same decision of the ANC when we say that they must step aside.

I think the engagement we have had with comrade Wendy is fair and comrade Wendy herself understands what we have done and I think that’s how the party runs its affairs,” he further adds.  

Questioned about accusations levelled against the speaker of the provincial legislature, Susan Dantjie, former Cogta MEC, Motlalepula Rosho and others, Chauke says these matters involving the said members are not in the courts yet but are still matters of ongoing investigations.  

Previously the IPC in the province was subjected to controversy, with ANC members accusing it of persecuting those who were in support of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma's (NDZ) campaign for the ANC 2017 presidential candidate. The disbanded regions, which include Dr Kenneth Kaunda (DRKK) and Bojanala, accused then Provincial Task Team (PTT) and now IPC of unfair treatment.  

Meanwhile, Nelson was the Finance MEC during former North West premier Mahumapelo's reign and was at some point the acting Premier. In August 2019, Nelson was arrested by the Hawks and she was released on R20 000 bail that same day.

OFM News