ANC chief whip says he's unlikely to go back to parliament
The star Online
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The chief whip of the ANC, Mbulelo Goniwe, says he is a "broken man" who is unlikely to return to parliament - even if he is cleared of the sexual harassment charges against him.
Goniwe is on extended sick leave after being accused of propositioning a parliamentary worker at his house after his birthday party.
He now faces an inquiry by the ANC's national disciplinary committee, headed by Kader Asmal.
Goniwe said from the Eastern Cape yesterday: "I'm a broken man. I thought it (sexual harassment) would be the last thing anyone would accuse me of."
Asked if he would return to parliament if cleared of the allegations, he said: "No. That's how I feel … I feel very sad; I feel sick inside."
He said the allegations had affected his "capacity, zeal and enthusiasm" for serving in parliament.
"I have to reconsider my being there."
Goniwe has denied the allegations, but said: "I don't think I'll ever be right, or in a position to look at these people who have engineered this thing.
"I don't really care how other people interpret me. It's about how I feel inside."
The accusations, however, are not just about Goniwe's reputation and how others will interpret him. They have cast a second pall over the high-powered ANC chief whip position.
If Goniwe does leave of his own accord or is found guilty by the disciplinary committee, he will be the second consecutive whip to leave under a cloud.
The wrongdoings of former whip Tony Yengeni are still fresh in the minds of the public and parliamentarians, especially following the recent debacle about his weekend pass from jail.
If Yengeni will always be remembered for abusing his position by defrauding parliament, Goniwe's fate could make the chief whip job an ill-fated one that nobody wants to touch.
Added to the shame of alleged sexual harassment, Goniwe has two other major marks against him.
First, there is the scandal pertaining to his failure to pay maintenance for his children and the fact that certain parliamentary officials are reportedly protecting him from being served with a summons from the sheriff of Cape Town.
Second, there is the Travelgate saga, in which Goniwe has come under fire from MPs who have accused him of using them as sacrificial lambs in order to protect himself.
But now it seems that Goniwe's possible bowing out of parliament is an acceptance of his defeat, and his declaration of being a "broken man" stands in sharp contrast to the attitude of Yengeni, who appeared arrogant right to the end.
"Those who think prison will break me are in for a rude surprise. I will come out stronger," he said on the day he was imprisoned, as he was given a hero's send-off.
Goniwe, when asked what he would do for a living if he did not return to parliament, said: "I'll see. I'm not in parliament for a living, but to serve the people."
In the meantime, he would "continue to do community-development work".
Goniwe was in the running for the post of provincial secretary of the ANC in the Eastern Cape but withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were made. The Eastern Cape provincial congress kicks off tomorrow.