Cape Town - Embattled speaker of the Western Provincial Parliament Masizole Mnqasela’s woes are deepening after the DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC) recommended that he be charged with misconduct.
This investigation stemmed from protected disclosures by whistle-blowers alleging fraud and/or corruption relating to subsistence, travel and entertainment allowance claims by Mnqasela.
The DA’s Federal Executive (Fedex) has resolved to accept the FLC recommendation.
“As required by the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, the DA has also reported the matter to the Hawks for investigation, including the documentary evidence provided in the protected disclosures,” said DA provincial chairperson, Western Cape, Jaco Londt.
“The DA has a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, and when evidence-based allegations arise, we hold our office-bearers to account, without fear or favour.”
The party has already suspended Mnqasela from party activities and it is yet not clear if they will recall him from his position as speaker.
If found guilty, Mnqasela may be shown the door by the party.
Mnqasela has in the past maintained that he is innocent and that this is just the party’s factional battles.
He also referred deputy speaker Beverley Schäfer to the conduct committee but the DA has not acted against her.
Schäfer refused to downgrade her luxury state-funded BMW X5 after a six-month stint as MEC for economic opportunities from November 2018 to May 2019. Schäfer was not allowed to use the vehicle beyond 30 June 2019 as its value constituted more than 40% of the annual remuneration package of the deputy speaker.
Mnqasela’s troubles doubled last month, when he was found to be in breach of the code of conduct after failing to disclose a family trust formed in 2018.
The speaker was preparing a statement at the time of publishing.