Violence Against Women
Source: Times Live
Cederberg mayor Jonas White has been suspended from the ANC for abusing the rights of women and children, the provincial disciplinary committee (PDC) said.
African National Congress Western Cape PDC head Fezile Calana said the action against White, 42, would send a strong message that it took the "protection and respect for women's and child's rights very seriously".
The PDC found White guilty on Thursday of sexual harassment, intimidation, victimisation, grooming a minor for purposes of soliciting sex, and accepting a bribe.
The police are still investigating the sexual harassment allegations.
The Sowetan reported on Friday that White had sexually harassed deputy mayor Lorna Scheepers.
According to the newspaper, White "continuously and persistently [sent] her text messages of [an] explicit and sexual nature," between August 2011 and October last year.
The messages reportedly included several pictures of White's erect penis.
The committee found that he verbally assaulted Scheepers and emotionally abused her during council and ANC caucus meetings, causing division and undermining the municipality's integrity.
White also allegedly sent text messages of a sexually provocative nature to two girls aged 15 and 16, The Sowetan reported.
He was reportedly also found guilty of taking a R60 000 bribe from a contractor to the municipality.
Calana said White was "clearly unfit" for public office or a leadership position within the ANC.
He had been an untruthful witness, had not taken the PDC into his confidence, and had not shown any remorse.
He was therefore unfit for rehabilitation.
"The probabilities are overwhelming that he would not voluntarily submit to therapy or counselling for his aberrant behaviour, and would simply continue on his disastrous ways if appropriate action is not taken against him."
The PDC said White had shown a lack of remorse by raising "untrue defences".
"His attitude is one of arrogance and that there was nothing wrong in what he had done. In fact, he explicitly averred in cross-examination that he was entitled to treat comrade Lorna in the way he did."
White apparently also insulted Scheepers by falsely alleging to the PDC that they were in a sexual relationship.
"[He] ascribed other immoral conduct to her that was never put to her in cross-examination, depriving her of the opportunity to respond," Calana said.
The PDC committee ordered that White's membership be suspended until the finalisation of an appeal or review. He had 21 days to appeal.
It also ordered that his name be removed from the ANC proportional representation list as a municipal counsellor.
White would only be able to re-apply for membership five years after his expulsion.
According to the Cederberg municipality website, Scheepers was in an acting mayor position.
Western Cape ANC secretary Songezo Mjongile said the provincial executive committee was in the process of choosing a replacement.
"Jonas White is an ANC deployee, he was deployed as a mayor. He has resigned as a councillor and he will be replaced by the next councillor on the list," Mjongile said.
"The leadership will sit and reflect on the current councillors and then deploy a suitable person to take over the position of mayor. I'm sure that in the next two weeks we would have finalised the way forward."