ANC welcomes corruption-accused Zizi Kodwa's decision to step aside
Corruption-accused Kodwa stepped down from the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee (NWC) on Thursday morning.
Sports, Arts and Culture minister Zizi Kodwa in the dock at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting, in Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on 5 June 2024. Picture: Xanderleigh Dookey-Makhaza
JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) has welcomed Zizi Kodwa’s decision to step aside from the party’s decision-making structures following corruption charges.
Kodwa stepped down from the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) and the national working committee (NWC) on Thursday morning.
He was charged with state capture-related corruption after allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for multi-million-rand government contracts between 2015 and 2016.
He also resigned as Sports, Arts and Culture Minister moments after his appearance at the Special Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge on Wednesday.
Kodwa is the latest ANC member to honour the party’s step-aside rule, which requires those charged with serious crimes to step down from public office and their positions in the party.
However, Kodwa has maintained that his resignation as sports, arts and culture minister was in no way an acceptance of guilt.
Speaking to journalists at the ANC’s NEC meeting in Ekurhuleni on Thursday, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula applauded Kodwa for abiding by the party’s constitution.
"Zizi has stepped aside to address the issues that he is actually facing and he has done that voluntarily, informed by the policy of the ANC, he was not forced. To that, we are very much grateful to him."
More than 20 ANC officials who were implicated in the state capture commission are yet to face the rule of law.