ANC accepts Vincent Smith 'stepping aside' as chair of committees
13 September 2018
The political committee of the ANC's parliamentary caucus has accepted a request by senior MP Vincent Smith to step aside as chairperson of three committees.
"Last week, comrade Smith requested the leadership of the ANC caucus to allow him to step aside from chairing any parliamentary committee until the investigation into allegations against him which have surfaced in the public domain have been concluded by the ethics committee," the office of ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said.
"The political committee welcomed and agreed to grant comrade Smith permission to step aside from chairing any portfolio committee until the finalisation of this case. Having allowed him to step aside as chairperson, he will remain an ordinary member of all committees he is a member of."
This followed a report by News24 earlier this month that Smith received cash and benefits to the tune of R870 000 from Bosasa in 2015 and 2016 through Angelo Agrizzi, then chief operations officer at Bosasa.At the time, Smith was a former chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on correctional services that investigated Bosasa's involvement in alleged corruption relating to state tenders.