Yengeni's directorships: ANC misunderstands leadership

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is astounded by the ANC's contention that convicted fraudster Tony Yengeni's resignation of six directorships, only after massive public pressure was brought to bear on him when he was found to be breaking the law, ‘shows good leadership.'

Earlier this week, I laid criminal charges against Mr. Yengeni on the basis that the six directorships he held were illegal under Section 218 of the Companies Act which bars any person who has been found guilty of fraud and sentenced to prison without a suspended sentence, from being a director of a company.

According to Mr. Yengeni's attorney, Mr. Yengeni thought that the term ‘public office' meant that he was proscribed from being a director in public companies only. But the fact is that ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Of course, a curious aspect of these resignations is that they did not happen immediately after Mr. Yengeni was exposed in the press as a director. Instead, he claimed that these directorships were nobody's business. He only chose to resign after I laid charges against him.

Are these the qualities of a true leader?

It is also ironic that Mr. Yengeni has applied to the High Court, after saying earlier this week ‘what has the High Court to do with my life?'

When asked in 2003, why the NWC did not act against Tony Yengeni, then-ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe said: "We give space to individual leaders to follow their conscience... the ANC only moves in when your own conscience does not guide you properly." When Yengeni reported to Pollsmoor Prison on 24 August 2006, he was accompanied by several high profile ANC figures including, ANC Chief Whip Mbulelo Goniwe, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete, ANC Western Cape chairman James Ngculu, Lindiwe Sisulu MP and then-Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool.

This year, the ANC put its political school under the leadership of Yengeni, who is in charge of the party's political education unit. Now the ANC "acknowledge[s] and accept[s] that comrade Tony has shown regret and remorse for failure to comply with the Companies Act due to misinterpretation of the law."

I look forward to the day the ANC puts out a statement saying they have had enough of Tony Yengeni and instead of absolving, explaining away, forgiving and obfuscating about the man, holds him to account for his actions.

Statement issued by Tim Harris MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, November 5 2010

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