Fransman abandons court case against ANC

African National Congress chairman in the Western Cape, Marius Fransman, has abandoned his court bid to get his job back.

 Cape Town - African National Congress chairman in the Western Cape, Marius Fransman, has abandoned his court bid to get his job back after he was informed that disciplinary processes will be instituted against him, his lawyer Ashley Meyer confirmed on Thursday.

“We’ve now served a formal notice of withdrawal of our court application,” said Meyer.

Fransman turned to the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, and was granted an order compelling his party to provide him with the report of an internal integrity commission which investigated sexual harassment allegations against him.

Fransman, who has been accused of sexually harassing 21-year-old Louisa Wynand while they were travelling to Rustenburg in January, was suspended pending a disciplinary enquiry.

He was due to return to court on Friday to launch an application to get his job back, but Meyer said the fact that Fransman now has the report and that an affidavit by ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe revealed that disciplinary processes would follow, caused him to withdraw his application.

“He’s also now learnt for the first time officially that the ANC will initiate a disciplinary procedures against him. He now has clarity,” said Meyer.

Meyer said Fransman and ANC leaders have also been invited to a mediation by religious leaders, which the his client would submit to.

“Mr Fransman, as a disciplined member of the ANC, has decided to give the mediation a go as opposed to fighting the issue of his position in court. Out of respect for the clergy and religious leaders, he decided to take up the offer and mediate.”

There was confusion about Fransman’s position last week when he publicly campaigned with ANC President Jacob Zuma in the run up to the local government elections on August 3. At the time, ANC head of elections Nomvula Mokonyane said Fransman was back on the job.

That was later refuted by Mantashe who said leaders who had claimed he was back had been ill-disciplined when they spoke out publicly on the matter.

African News Agency