Marius Fransman claims ANC disciplinary structures trying to sideline him – 'as it happened with Julius Malema'

Suspended African National Congress provincial leader Marius Fransman claims his disciplinary hearing is being used to sideline him ahead of the party’s national conference – as it happened to Julius Malema.

Fransman wants his peers in the ANC national executive committee‚ and not the party’s disciplinary structures‚ to decide his fate.

He is on suspension for allegedly sexually harassing his assistant Louisa Wynand when they travelled to ANC birthday celebrations in the North West early in 2016.

He was initially found guilty by the party’s national disciplinary committee but appealed. The party’s appeal committee decided to revert his case back to the national disciplinary committee to give two of Fransman’s witnesses a chance to testify.

• 'Hanekom tried to kick me out': Marius FransmanANC Western Cape chairman Marius Fransman has accused senior party member and Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom of trying to get rid of him from the party.

But he refuses to go back to the disciplinary committee and instead wants to take his chances with party leaders. “The horse has bolted to go back to the (national disciplinary committee). The fact that the (appeals committee) has ruled that there was unfair treatment‚ I can’t go and submit myself again to round two of unfairness‚” he said.

He claimed there was an objective to keep him in a “ping-pong process” until the national conference later in the year.

“The last time this happened was with Julius Malema. You must remember before the (ANC Mangaung conference in 2012) Julius Malema was pushed from pillar to post just to keep him out of the national conference. I am now facing the same experience‚” said Fransman.

• Fransman finally on ANC carpetANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman will face the music today for allegedly sexually harassing his personal assistant a year ago.

Malema was fired from the party in 2011 but his case dragged on in the lead up to the ANC 2012 conference. Many attributed his sacking as ANC Youth League president as a move to silence him because he wanted Kgalema Motlanthe to replace Jacob Zuma as party president.

Fransman is a close Zuma ally.

He said the appeals committee ruling confirmed that he was right to say there was a factional interest in his prosecution by the national disciplinary committee.

Fransman said the ruling further confirmed that there was non-compliance with fairness during his initial hearing. “I will be petitioning the national executive committee in the next meeting to give finality on this matter. It doesn’t matter the outcome of the decision but I want finality‚” he added.

• Silence on FransmanThe disciplinary inquiry into controversial ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman's alleged sexual misconduct has been shrouded in secrecy.

Fransman was speaking to The Times following a news conference at the ANC provincial offices in Cape Town where he was of the view that his suspension had been lifted.

Asked for comment on the matter‚ party spokesman Khusela Sangoni‚ declined to comment.

“The (national disciplinary appeals committee) issued their findings and put them up on the ANC website. At this point they are the totality of the position of the ANC as it relates to Marius Fransman‚” said Sangoni.

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE