“Today, I wrote to the Secretary General of the ANC, cde Ace Magashule, requesting that I be allowed to take leave.”
ANC national spokesman Pule Mabe has listened to growing calls for him to step aside while being probed for sexual harassment charges.
Mabe said he takes leave until such time that the internal processes of attending to an internal grievance brought against him on serious allegations of, amongst other things, sexual harassment, are completed.
“I have taken this decision to ensure integrity and fairness in the said internal processes and to remove any possibility of any perceived interference in or influence of such processes. It is only fair and/or prudent that when we are faced with such serious allegations we put the interest of the organisation first and allow ourselves to attend to matters of concern without constraining the integrity and standing of the movement,” said Mabe.
He said he was raised by a single woman – a grandmother, who went an extra mile to provide for his family.
“I have been nurtured from a very early age to understand what it means to preserve the rights of women.
“I will never in my clear mind and conscious go out of my way to violate women.
“Throughout my life as an activist I have come to appreciate the importance of coexisting with my own fellow cadres regardless of their social or sexual standing. I will be doing injustice on my part if I don’t give these allegations the attention and respect they deserve,” he said.
ANC Youth League branches from Alexandra, Midrand, Klipfontein and Modderfontein have also joined calls for ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe to step down.
A sexual harassment complaint is expected to be heard by a grievance committee at the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters on Wednesday. It was filed against Mabe by his former personal assistant.
The ANC has accepted this request, and thanked him for putting the integrity and image of the ANC ahead of himself.
In the interim period, NEC members deployed to headquarters, Cdes Zizi Kodwa and Dakota Legoete will act as Spokespersons.
