Team to probe Agang millions
[caption id="attachment_36703" align="alignright" width="250"] MAMPHELA RAMPHELE[/caption]
AGANG SA president Mamphela Ramphele appointed a task team yesterday to investigate how millions in party funds ended up in an unknown bank account.
This followed her decision on Tuesday to dissolve her national executive committee (NEC), Eastern Cape spokesman Philip Machanick said.
A disciplinary process has also been instituted against five of its members.
But details of the charges remained sketchy yesterday, with Ramphele saying the party would provide more details at the appropriate time.
"The establishment of this task team is a response to the call by members who want to build the party ahead of elections in 2016, and remain committed to building a winning South Africa together with like-minded citizens," Ramphele said.
Problems at AgangSA started after a rival faction held a special congress last weekend where members supported a motion of no confidence in Ramphele, according to Agang chairman Mike Tshishonga.
Party members at the congress gave Ramphele an ultimatum to resign within 48 hours or face court action to have her removed.
On Friday last week, the New Age newspaper reported that Tshishonga had filed a fraud complaint and accused Ramphele of having direct access to party funds.
Ramphele also laid a fraud complaint, relating to the same IEC funds, with police on the same day.
At the centre of the issue are millions of rands deposited with the Electoral Commission (IEC) which were allegedly transferred to another account without a mandate from party members.
The report said Tshishonga had lodged the case because his signature appeared on the bank account's paperwork without his knowledge.
On Tuesday night, Machanick said Ramphele had decided to dissolve the entire AgangSA executive because it was dysfunctional and had failed to carry out its basic duties.
Part of the NEC's responsibility was to hold regular minuted meetings and carry through disciplinary proceedings, but none of that was happening in AgangSA, he said.
"Worse, [the disbanded NEC] failed to put in place the necessary steps to create democratic structures to replace interim structures."
The interim structures had only been intended to last through the election. It was the NEC's responsibility to carry out the process of building up the organisation.
Agang communications head Mark Peach said the terms of reference for the task team included:
- Investigating allegations around the opening of the bank account;
- Investigating and reporting on the financial status of the party by, among other things, surveying funders, debtors and creditors; and
- Assessing and reporting on the status of legal matters of the organisation, including financial irregularities, staff disciplinary matters and lease agreements.
More than 50000 people voted for Agang in last month's general elections.
Tshishonga could not be reached for comment yesterday. - Zine George
