Tebogo Sepale, an ANC councillor from the North West local municipality of Matlosana, has come under fire from Action Society. This follows a social media uproar caused by the viral footage of him allegedly having intercourse with a young man last month.
Sepale is still getting paid as a councillor while he is in jail despite the fact that he is being held on 11 preliminary charges.
Ian Cameron, the head of community safety at Action Society, demanded the ouster of Orkney ward member Sepale.
“It is an atrocity that he is still getting a salary. His contract should have been ended with immediate effect,” Cameron said.
On Monday, Sepale’s court case was postponed to 7 July. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance.
African Independent National Congress chair Karabo Kau echoed Cameron’s sentiments.
“We are calling for the removal of Sepale as councillor. We call for the speaker to charge him as he breached his code of conduct. Equally, a declaration of by-elections should be made in that ward as the community members are refusing to be led by a person without morals,” Kau said.
He was referring to ward 25, which covers Kanana and Orkney areas where Sepale is a councillor.
Although Sepale was suspended by the ANC in the North West on 5 May, that did not stop him from receiving his salary from Matlosana local municipality.
ANC caucus chief whip Khaya Ndincede confirmed to The Citizen that Sepale was getting his salary while still behind bars.
“Sepale is still receiving his full salary until both processes of the municipality as a councillor and ANC as his party of deployment have been finalised,” said Ndincede.
‘What is there to investigate?’
Cameron criticised the council for “inaction”.
“What is there to investigate or discuss? The man is [allegedly having sex with] the boy on the video, which everybody can see,” Cameron said.
According to Cameron, the council was supposed to suspend Sepale without a salary.
MMC for local economic development Moagi Kodisang was appointed as an acting ward councillor until the disciplinary processes were completed.
Political analyst, from the North-West University, Professor André Duvenhage decried the ANC’s inconsistencies in its application of the step-aside rule.
Source iHarare
