Murder-accused North West MEC China Dodovu yesterday claimed that he was the victim of a smear campaign.
"My arrest can only point to an unholy alliance between some ANC leaders, the police and the prosecution," he told reporters in Johannesburg following his suspension from the ANC's provincial executive committee.
The ANC in North West dismissed Dodovu's claims as "baseless and devoid of any truth".
Dodovu, local government and traditional affairs MEC, was grantedbail of R20000 on Tuesday.
He was arrested in connection with the murder of ANC regional secretary Obuti Chika.
Chika, 33, was shot in the driveway of his Klerksdorp home on December 14 and died in hospital.
Eight people, including Dodovu, were arrested in connection with the crime.
Dodovu said yesterday: "I am informed that those who suspended me claim to have done so informed by an ANC Mangaung national conference resolution."
The resolution states that action will be taken against any ANC public official or leader facing allegations of improper conduct.
At the conference, the party's national executive committee was ordered to establish an integrity committee and draw up a code of conduct that was to have been circulated to branches in the first quarter of this year.
Dodovu said the ANC national executive committee had not finalised the code of conduct or established the integrity committee as envisaged in the resolution.
"It is therefore safe to assume that the action taken against me is not in line with the said resolution . It is a hatchet job that is justified by a deliberate distortion of a resolution that is well-intended but is now savaged by factionalists masquerading as custodians of morality."
He said several officials had been suspended or dismissed in North West since the Mangaung conference.
Dodovu said he would contest the action taken against him.
Paul Sebegoe has been appointed acting MEC for local government and traditional affairs in North West.
