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This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Travelgate 1

(Linda Ensor & Rob Rose, Business Day Special Report, 19 October 2006)

Travelgate

'Travelgate MPs 'won't step down''

'The African National Congress has ruled out any suggestion the MPs charged with fraud in the Travelgate scandal should step down, recuse themselves, or take leave.

Briefing the media on Thursday, following a meeting of his party's caucus, ANC Chief Whip Mbulelo Goniwe said the ruling party would do nothing about the 23 MPs - who will appear in the Cape High Court on July 31 - until after the trial.

"The ANC has made it clear time and again ... that members cannot on the basis of being accused be asked to do anything - either to step down, or not to step down. Because we cannot make the assumption that what people are charged for is true or false.

"Up and until the investigation is concluded, the court proceedings take place, it is then that the ANC will - on a one-to-one case basis - make up its mind as to what action to take," he said, responding to questions on the issue.

Earlier, Goniwe told journalists the ANC "regrets the current challenge the matter has brought to 23 comrades". The party would provide "necessary emotional support" to its involved comrades.

Asked if the MPs involved should not recuse themselves, he said: "There is no basis to do that, absolutely no basis, because the principle of innocent until proven guilty is a very, very, very fundamental principle that we really must lead society into respecting.

"It would be contravening the Constitution of the country to do this type of thing." Goniwe also refuted what he called "insinuations" that Parliament's powers were being eroded by the executive.

He labelled these as "unsubstantiated" and said they could not be backed by facts.'

(business.iafrica.com, 01 Jun 2006)

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