POLITICS

Andile Fani being wrongfully persecuted – SACP EC

Party says the judgment used to discriminate against suspended city manager has nothing to do with him

SACP EC statement on the persecution of Mr. Andile Fani

22 September 2016

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape noted with great concern the wildly reported ‘disciplinary hearing’ against the suspended Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) City Manager, Andile Fani. We view this as a grave injustice in a democratic dispensation, to be found guilty using the court judgement of another case. The court case judgement which is used to persecute Mr. Fani had nothing to do with him but was a court case between the Buffalo City Metro and its service provider, and the judgement is being appealed by the party that was in court.

The progressive labour legislations that we have actively fought for provides for any employee to be granted a fair disciplinary hearing, and Mr. Fani cannot be an exception. We find it strange that he was never afforded an opportunity to present his case in the properly constituted disciplinary hearing. He was instead found guilty without that which is required by the South African rule of law to hear both sides in any case.

This kind of procedural unfairness comes after a year after the persistent vilification and dehumanisation of Andile Fani and his family by the BCMM. We recall with great sense of pain that it was Fani who was accused amongst other things of having interfered with R100 000 tender and of not possessing the necessary qualifications to be the City Manager, and all those were later withdrawn as they were never true but part of the agenda to remove him from the till by the rogue and extremely corrupt elements within and outside the institution.

We wish to express our unwavering support to him and his family having endured this pain for simply doing what is of service to our people. We are of the firm view that to be persecuted for the truth and being on the side of the poor and the marginalised will always be a badge of honour, that all patriots should be willing to wear.

We are acutely aware that once you decide to stand for the truth and be on the side of the people, from that moment onwards you walk side by side with persecution including death. We remain with our conviction that justice will prevail.

Issued by Xolile Nqatha, SACP Provincial Secretary, 22 September 2016