Crisis within the ANC: Abuse of power threatens Tulashi's dismissal

Written by: Mohammed Omran

In a significant development within the African National Congress, attention is turning to a crucial meeting that could determine the future of the Women's League chairwoman. Sisi TulashiThis comes amid escalating accusations against her and increasing internal pressure demanding her dismissal from her position.

Allegations of assault and abuse of power threaten Tulashi's dismissal

The data reveals a growing crisis within the ruling party, following the recommendations of the Integrity Committee, which opened the door to strict disciplinary measures that brought the issue to the forefront of the political scene and sparked widespread controversy within organizational circles regarding the limits of accountability and the balance of power within the party.

Frustration with the leadership of the ANC Women’s League chairwoman, Sissi Tulashi, has extended beyond the League and become a wider concern within the party. The Women’s League is set to dismiss former Minister of Social Development Sissi Tulashi from her position as chairwoman at a special National Executive Committee meeting on Saturday.

Senior insiders say the structure has endorsed the recommendations of the ANC's Integrity Committee after it reached unfavorable conclusions against the former minister, leaving only disciplinary procedures to be followed before the decision can be formalized.

ANC Women's League allies turn against Tulashi

An official within the Women's League who is familiar with the discussions said that Tulashi's fate has been decided following the results of the Integrity Committee, adding that the weekend meeting will approve her dismissal within the National Executive Committee, and that the next steps will be through the Disciplinary Committee and then final adoption of the decision.

The source explained that the recommendation does not stop at dismissing her from her position as head of the association, but extends to the necessity of her resignation from parliament and from all leadership positions, noting that she was convicted of four charges, and that the decision to remove her from her ministerial position makes it impossible for her to continue in the rest of the positions.

The source indicated that one of the most serious charges against her relates to assaulting women, which puts her in a sensitive position, especially since she leads a women’s organization that is supposed to defend women’s rights and protect them from violence and abuse, making her continued presence in the position a subject of widespread controversy within the party.

In the same context, the source explained that the frustration with Tulashi was no longer limited to the Women’s League, but had extended into the corridors of the African National Congress, where the issue had turned into a political file related to the way power was used during her time in her ministerial position, with complaints related to mismanagement and abuse of power.

He added that among the points raised were also allegations concerning cars donated to the Women's League, with questions raised about their number, how they were used, and whether they were used personally or outside the organizational framework, which intensified the controversy within the party.

After Tulashi, along with former police minister Bheki Cele and three others, appeared before the Integrity Commission, the party held an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee, where it decided to refer all cases to a disciplinary committee to complete the regulatory procedures.

In a subsequent move, President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed Tulashe from her ministerial post in the government and appointed Sindiso Chikonga as acting minister of social development as part of a reshuffling of the executive landscape.

The most serious accusations against her center on allegations of mistreatment of women, especially her domestic worker, along with suspicions of financial transfers linked to her salary to other parties, which increased the legal and political pressure on her.

An investigation by the Daily Maverick also revealed that some of the vehicles allocated to the activities of the ANC Women’s League were registered in the names of family members, including her children, raising further questions about resource management within the organization.

Conversely, within the party, female voices are rising, seeing discrimination in the treatment of female leaders compared to men, as women are treated harshly while some male officials enjoy wider leeway despite their involvement in corruption cases, according to them.

One source said that the continuation of this situation could lead to increased tension within the party, stressing that some members intend to raise the issue at the highest organizational levels.

Amid this controversy, the Secretary-General of the Women's League, Nkothola Nkaba, confirmed that the matter is still under internal discussion and that no final decision has been made yet, noting that what is happening falls within the organizational procedures followed within the party.

She stressed that Tulashi is still officially in her position, and that any decision to remove her will only be made through the approved organizational channels, pending the outcome of the upcoming meetings.