ActionSA Parliamentary Caucus leader Athol Trollip says they want a probe into the swearing-in of former Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa as a Member of Parliament.
Kodwa was sworn in Tuesday along with 58 uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party members.
He resigned from his position as Minister earlier this month after being formally charged with corruption.
The charges follow recommendations in the State Capture Commission Report implicating him in corruption for alleged bribery amounting to R1.6 million.
Trollip says Kodwa’s return goes against what the African National Congress (ANC) and the President have been saying for a long time.
“Zizi Kodwa resigned shortly before the election as the Minister because there were serious charges of corruption against him. There’s a prima facie case of corruption against him. He’s out on bail and he gets sworn in to Parliament. So two things have happened. One, the integrity Commission of the ANC is clearly not working, because even Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions) has questioned him being sworn in, we are questioning him being sworn in. We are going to demand that the Ethics Committee that they investigate Mr Zizi Kodwa. Because we don’t believe he’s suitable to serve as a Member of Parliament,” adds Trollip.
PODCAST | Interview with Action SA Parliament Caucus leader, Athol Trollip:
Cosatu says it is shocked that the ANC went ahead with the swearing-in of Kodwa as an MP.
The labour federation’s national spokesperson Zanele Sabela says, “When we heard that he could be sworn in, we didn’t think they’d actually go through with that. So it was actually a surprise given that he, you know when he was charged, he didn’t need pushing.”
“He actually just resigned and we thought, wow, amazing. We commended him on that and now to see him back in Parliament being sworn in as an MP is actually quite baffling. What happened to the step aside rule that they have come up with themselves,” adds Sabela.-Reporting by Diteboho Ntamane
PODCAST: Reaction to Zizi Kodwa’s swearing-in
